August 2021 Newsletter

For over 2+ decades, Hearts Thrift Shop has been a long-standing resource for the Black Rock Riverside community, not just for purchasing clothing and housewares, but a place to come to be heard, whether to be prayed for, receive spiritual support and friendship, obtain free clothing, accessories, and housewares (for those with needs), or just to step off the city streets for a few moments of peace.

As the scripture above says, “Weep with those who weep,” we try to be sensitive to everyone entering the thrift store who may be hurting, having difficulties, or suffering. For the Lord Himself wept for others.

Originally, the idea of starting a thrift shop was to create a micro-enterprise(s), to hire people from within the community and to provide quality clothing for a great price. In the beginning, all clothing sold for $1 each! After opening more than one store, we weren’t able to keep all 3 stores stocked with enough merchandise, so we merged them all into one store when we purchased the building at 890 Tonawanda St., with the same motive of creating a micro-enterprise, hiring from within the community, selling quality clothing at affordable prices and utilizing any profit from sales for feeding the homeless.

Here’s a look at the historical progression:

• May 1996, 1st thrift store on Genesee Street
• October 1996, 2nd thrift store on Main Street
• September 1997, 3rd thrift store at the new Black Rock Riverside building.
• 1999 merged all thrift stores into 1 thrift store at 890 Tonawanda Street
• February, 2018 renovated Hearts Thrift Shop at 890 Tonawanda Street

We invite you to go online to our website at www.heartsforthehomeless.org and take a trip down “memory lane” and view our timeline, then read some older newsletters to see for yourself the love that was extended out into the community by the founders, staff, and volunteers at Hearts. The one thing that has always been consistent is helping those in need, no matter what the need was; we always tried our best to provide, and that continues today.

Most recently to these:

♥ One very poor woman who has an autistic son with many needs – we are trying to assist them with what we have available in the store, food pantry, and other donations that come in.

♥ A woman who was in the dressing room trying on shorts – when she came out of the dressing room with a pair of shorts on, the bruises on her legs were very obvious, her legs were all swollen and sore. She said she was beaten by her husband and pushed out of a car. She has been staying in Riverside Park for 4 days. We were able to give her clothing, shoes, water, and a resource sheet of places to stay. We also gave her money our staff had been saving up for a pizza day! We prayed for her and she asked if she could hug us in gratitude.

♥ An older man came in with only $2 – he was in need of a pair of sneakers. We gave him a pair at no charge and returned to him his $2.

♥ We partner with several agencies – we give them clothing to give to their clients.

♥ A regular customer, who for quite some  time, has been coming in and buying a large assortment of shoes – we recently found out that he has been purchasing them and sending them to Africa, to his brother, who has a store there. That really touched our hearts. So now, each month, Hearts will be setting aside shoes for this customer, at no charge, for his brother along with well wishes for business success.

These are the stories forefront in our minds, but they are not the only requests we received. While these are some of the needs that came in through the thrift store, daily our other outreaches are also receiving requests, the office phone rings, people show up, needs come through our food pantry, as well as from those who are living on the street.

And, that is why Hearts exists, and you are a part of it all, through the support that you provide to us!