By Robb Murray
MANKATO — The thrift store population in Mankato is about to grow.
VINE Faith in Action — the nonprofit organization with an army of volunteers that helps anyone in need — plans to launch a thrift store that will specialize in furniture but offer, VINE Director Pam Determan says, “anything to do with the home.”
An exact launch date hasn’t been determined, but Determan says they want to have the store up and running by the time colleges are back in session in the fall.
They aren’t disclosing the location either, but Determan says they hope to announce it soon.
VINE’s addition will add to the handful of thrift storesin the area. The others are run by the Salvation Army, MRCI, the Minnesota Valley Action Council, P.A.C.T. Ministries and one run by a collection of churches: St. Mark in Mankato, St. Paul North Mankato, Peace Lutheran in North Mankato, Trinity Lutheran in Nicollet and Mount Olive in Mankato.
Determan says the plan to start up a store has been talked about off and on for about the last five years, but it’s only been during the last four of five months that the talk has been “serious.” VINE’s board made the decision about three months ago to pursue the store.
Determan has done research on starting up a business, paying special attention to how other shops have fared around the country.
The decision to launch the store was based in part on VINE’s financial situation. In 2008 VINE learned it was losing a nearly $240,000 state grant that was vital to its existence.
After that, donations poured in and saved VINE. In the month after the announcement of the discontinuation of the grant, supporters donated more than $70,000.
“That showed me that people value the idea of a hometown organization,” she said.
Determan said she hopes the store grows enough to be able to help keep the organization financially healthy.
“We’ve been calling this our year of grace,” Determan said. “We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to make it by.”
VINE’s story will specialize in furniture. And Determan said the other thrift stores in town shouldn’t feel threatened because none of them carry that much furniture. Some of them carry a little bit, but VINE’s store will have that as its “niche.”
One thing they won’t sell is clothing.
“That’s the bread and butter of other shops,” she said.
Determan said she made calls to other shops to give them early notice of what VINE hopes to do and letting them know they don’t wish to hurt anyone else’s business.
The VINE store will sell refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers and furniture.
“We did an online survey a month ago,” Determan says. “We got really good feedback from the community. They thought there was a need and there was a place for it.”
Bridget Boyle, who moved to Mankato four years ago from New York, said she’s gotten help from VINE in the past and plans to shop at the organization’s new store when it opens. She received a television set a few weeks ago from VINE’s stockpile of home furnishings.
“Things are tough now,” she said, “and you can get things cheaper.”
VINE will be hiring a couple of workers, but the store also will use volunteers to make it work.
Determan’s goal is to break even the first year and build from there.
