VOA Thrift Store closes doors, thanks donors and customers

Volunteers of America Thrift Store managers Bill and Teresa Mitchell say they have closed shop after a recent increase to their monthly lease.

The store at 6206 E. Trent Ave. offered affordable donated clothing, household items and other gently used items to the public, with proceeds going to regional Volunteers of America programs.

The store had previous locations at Francis Avenue and Market Street, which was lost to a fire, and 1010 N. Atlantic St., which was lost in a roof collapse.

Regarding closing of its latest location, Bill Mitchell said, “Mostly we have just lost our lease.”

He said when their lease came up for renewal recently he tried to work with the owner for a price reduction, but “they increased it somewhere in the neighborhood $1,500 to $2,000 more a month, and we decided that was something we could not handle.”

Mitchell said they have until Feb. 28 to clear out of the space. After a clearance sale last month, he said. the nonprofit is liquidating remaining assets and donating any remaining inventory to the Veteran’s Thrift Store, 4507 W. Wellesley Avenue.

Over the past few weeks, the VOA store has they have begun calling donors to alert them to the closure and to let them know “how we appreciated their loyalty,” Mitchell said.