By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — The Houlton Salvation Army Thrift Store may soon be resurrected, but the same can not be said of the organization’s Presque Isle location.
Houlton’s store has been closed since December when structural issues with the building’s roof were detected, but according to Envoy Damon Hayward, a resolution may be nearing. Hayward said Monday that the group plans to re-open the store at some point in the future, but it may be at a different location.
Pioneer Times photo/Joseph Cyr
THRIFT STORE — The Houlton Salvation Army Thrift Store, located on 2 Pleasant St., has been closed since December, but may soon be re-opening. Officials with the Salvation Army are optimistic they will be able to re-open in Houlton. The same cannot be said for the Army’s Presque Isle store, which will close its doors on Saturday.
The stores offer gently-used clothing, furniture and other goods to the community at bargain prices. Many of the items sold in its stores are donated materials.
The Salvation Army Houlton Corps oversees the operations of the Family Thrift Stores in Houlton and Presque Isle. In addition, the Houlton Corps serves people living in the community as well as nine surrounding towns.
In Houlton, the Salvation Army rents the building at 2 Pleasant St. from Paradigm Development LLC of East Holden. The property was assessed at $127,300, according to the town’s tax records. The building has not been occupied since issues were discovered in December. The entrances are blocked with yellow hazard tape to keep people out.
Hayward could not give a timeline for when the Houlton store would reopen, but was emphatic that the store would be up and running at some point in the near future.
The religious and charitable organization has operated the Family Thrift Store at the Presque Isle location since 2011, but has struggled over the past year with a decline in sales revenue. With rising operational costs and declining sales taking their toll, The Salvation Army’s Family Thrift Store, located at 377 Main St., will close its doors on Saturday, March 22.
The decision to close was not an easy one and, eventually, the challenge of keeping the operation alive became insurmountable, according to officials.
“We, as Salvation Army leaders, are always mindful of our resources and the need to utilize them to help the most people in need,” said Major James LaBossiere, divisional commander for The Salvation Army in the Northern New England Division. “With the direction the Thrift Store was taking there would have been a serious impact on our programs and services.”
LaBossiere indicated that the decision to close the Presque Isle store was made collaboratively with local leadership in Houlton and divisional headquarters in Portland.
The Salvation Army will continue to serve needy men, women and children in Presque Isle through its Service Unit program, a network of volunteers that assists people in areas where there is not a Salvation Army facility. The Army’s volunteers provide temporary and emergency assistance to families and individuals in need of food, clothing, fuel, utilities and more.
