The thrift store, located at the site of the former P.L. Willey store, on the Old Van Buren Road, offers bargain seekers a variety of items that would challenge any department store. Brightly lit, with wide aisles filled with items, all neatly organized and displayed, the store offers everything from furniture to fill any room in a house or apartment to beds, books and belts. “If we don’t have it,” laughed Shaw, “you don’t need it.”
Shaw stated that 100 percent of the profit from the thrift store is used to purchase food items for the 24 food pantries (from Wytopitlock to St. Francis and from Fort Fairfield to Ashland) the organization services.
“We provide food for approximately 2,004 individuals each month,” said Shaw. “We need to purchase food items to fill 24 pallets each month and food costs from our own supplier have tripled in the past 18 months. Shaw noted that salvage food, which the Catholic Charities Food Bank used to be able to get has all but disappeared as salvage centers are buying up all that product and re-selling the food items to retail stores.
Shaw reminds area residents of the upcoming (Aug.20) Feed the County Summer Fest, which will benefit the food bank/pantries.
“If we sell all the tickets available for the concert, we will raise $75,000 (it takes an estimated $90,000 to purchase food for the 24 pantries for one year) — and that’s a big deal, (referencing the concert headliners, Big and Rich). Advanced concert tickets are $54.50.
“We hope everyone stops in to the store on Saturday, we have lots to look at and our prices are more than reasonable,” said Shaw. “We don’t get any state or federal funding — we make our own way or we don’t do it. When I look at a file cabinet, I ask myself, ‘how many cans of beans would that be?’ So when you purchase something from our store remember, ‘you are getting a good deal and helping up provide a good meal.’”
During the June 25 Catholic Charities Thrift Store third anniversary celebration in Caribou, shoppers will be able to sign up for a chance to win one free concert ticket. No purchase is necessary.
