Six weeks hardly seems like enough time for an organization to get back on its feet after a major disaster, but thanks to local generosity and a focus on the future, the
St. Vincent De Paul resale shop re-opened for business in just that amount of time following the fire that destroyed their building in December.
“We’ve had a large outpouring of support from the community,” says Steve Maiville, St. Vincent De Paul store director.
After setting up temporary offices in donated space at St. Gerard Church in Lansing in the week following the December 18 fire, the non-profit went straight to work on gathering new donations and finding a new location for the store.
“Effectively, everything was lost,” says Maiville.
St. Vincent De Paul celebrated the opening of their new store at in 11,000-square feet of commercial space at 5136 S. Cedar on January 28. The move was made possible by a discounted lease rate given by the property owners, as well as the donation of display racks and fixtures from Meijer and Barnes and Noble.
“We’re pleasantly surprised how quickly our customers came back to us,” Maiville says, “and how much the community has embraced us after the fire.”
Two local Meijer stores also contributed gift cards totaling $1,300 to the non-profit. The Cedar Street location will remain the home of the St. Vincent De Paul store until their South Washington location is rebuilt. Maiville hopes the organization will be back in their 23,000 square foot facility in one year.
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