Salvation Army opens Jackson thrift store

The city of Jackson got a bit more thrifty over the weekend.

On Friday, a new Salvation Army thrift store opened on East Jackson Boulevard.

Business over the weekend was good, according to Sandra Trapp, a longtime Salvation Army veteran who is helping with the store's operations.

The store is at 1969 E. Jackson Blvd. between Nearly Perfect Shoes and Save-A-Lot.

The store has long racks of used clothing, some furniture, knickknacks, toys and books.

Trapp helped organize Cape Girardeau's thrift store in 1994 and then moved to Jefferson City to help the Salvation Army there. She "retired" and moved back in 2002 because she liked the area. Now, she's back to work.

She said the store is open to anyone, but said the prices are geared toward lending a helping hand to those with a limited income.

Jackson isn't a town associated with poverty, but Trapp said there is still room for the store.

"Even if you're raising a family, if you can buy kids clothes here, you can save a lot of money," she said. "They grow out of clothes so quickly."

She said customers bought a lot of women's and children's clothing in particular over the first weekend.

Proceeds aid efforts

The proceeds go toward the Salvation Army, an international Christian organization that provides programs to the needy, including basic social services, holiday assistance, children's day camps and disaster relief. In 2003, the Salvation Army reported it served 33 million people and collected more than $3 billion in donations and contributions.

The Jackson store will be one of about 1,500 stores in the country. Cape Girardeau and Jackson are the only stores in Southeast Missouri, Trapp said. The next closest are in St. Louis.

"We were looking to expand our store operations," Trapp said. "We've talked about it for several years and when this building became available, we thought it was the right time."

Betty Green of Jackson was looking through the book section Monday morning. She had several books in her hand, including one by one of her favorite authors, Fern Michaels.

"I'm a book addict," she said. "I did quite a bit of shopping in the Cape store. This one is just beautiful compared to some of the others. It's fun to come in and look at the books. But now and again, I'll find a dress I like. They have a lot of things and I'm glad they got this store open in Jackson."

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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