The store features 33,000 square feet that includes rows and rows of used clothing, furniture, shoes, luggage, and other home goods that have all been donated. It also has a substantial portion of its location dedicated to receiving, sorting, and sorting donations. Manager Krista Buggs said the Salvation Army continued taking and storing donations at its warehouse in Minneapolis even while it’s other retail locations were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those stores are since re-opened. She said the organization saw an uptick in donations because of so many people staying home and cleaning out their belongings.
“It keeps us going and it keeps us able to give back to the community when we have product,” said Buggs, who said proceeds help fund the Salvation Army’s men’s rehabilitation program in Minneapolis.
When it opens Saturday, the Blaine store will have social distance guidelines in effect, including restrictions on the number of people in the store at any given time.
