Hi everyone,
Don’t be fooled by the matrix of scaffolding in front of The Salvation Army thrift store on Main Street and the ghost-town appearance of the first floor.
The Danbury landmark is still open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
But it’s hardly business as usual.
The thrift store, in true Phoenix-like fashion, is undergoing a $400,000 renovation that is expected to be done by March, according to Lt. Col. Tim Raines, commander of The Salvation Army’s adult rehabilitation ministry for the Eastern territory.
So while Jim Maloney’s new health clinic takes shape across the street, The Salvation Army store is getting ready for a major unveiling of its own with new fixtures, a new layout and a new attitude.
Suddenly, the smell of neglect has been replaced by the smell of fresh paint and a fresh start.
This is another encouraging sign for the revitalization of downtown Danbury, especially for local families trying to stretch their budgets in an unforgiving economy.
“We’re trying to invest in the community,” Raines said Thursday night. “At the same time, we’re aware of the image of the old Salvation Army thrift store and we’re trying to reinvent it. We’ve changed the name to the Family Store.
“The whole concept is being changed. It’s going to be more like a department store, where people of all classes can go shop and find a bargain.”
Consider: As I shuffled through the racks of clothing Thursday night — the pants, shirts, coats and everything else have been moved upstairs after being downstairs for years — I found a Ralph Lauren women’s barn coat with a brown corduroy collar. The blue coat was in gently used condition, if not better.
The yellow ticket with “Family Store” printed on it read, $14.99. But because yellow tickets were half off Thursday, the coat was a steal at $7.50.
Anyone could see that.
I’m glad Raines and The Salvation Army folks saw fit to upgrade the lighting here. It would’ve been a shame to skimp on the lights and update everything else.
The place is so much brighter now and the metaphor for the future — whether that future belongs to The Salvation Army, this corner of Main Street, or the people whose lives are changed by the missions supported by these retail purchases — is unmistakable.
“This is one of the stores that we’ve owned for a long time and we felt it was time to clean it up and spruce it up,” Raines said. “We have a commitment to the community and we think this investment will help us do that.”
The Salvation Army’s commitment to the community, of course, includes free treatment for people fighting alcohol and drug addictions, among other demons.
“It’s a win-win situation for the whole community. Everyone benefits,” Raines said. “It’s going to be a brand-new store with the old prices.
“This is a process we’re doing all over Connecticut, right now. We just opened a brand-new store in Newington in November and we’re opening another one in Willimantic next month.”
But right here in Danbury, in a historic brick building dating to 1932, The Salvation Army is priming its walls and powdering its nose for a new era of helping people.
To read more about the new Salvation Army store in downtown Danbury, check out my “Take on Life” column Friday, exclusively in the print edition of The News-Times.
