The Hamburg Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center at 700 South 4th Street in Hamburg will host a Grand Opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 29.
There will be food and drinks, door prizes, Hamburg Area student performances, a benefit drawing and a fire truck from the Hamburg Fire Department. A ribbon will be cut at noon.
Always affordable, the Hamburg Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center serves the greater Hamburg area, Northern Berks County & Schuylkill County. The store has a boutique type feeling, featuring new and gently used clothing, shoes and accessories. There is also a Prom Dress section as well as plenty of fun costume jewelry!
Back in October of 2015, the Hamburg Salvation Army Service Extension Team hatched the idea of a Family Store to fill the vacating space next to the Service Extension Offices located at 700 South 4th Street, Hamburg, next to the Dollar General.
Inspired by the vision of Cathy Correll, Service Extension Center Manager, encouraged by the leadership of Becky Netznik, Service Extension Regional Manager, supported by Angie Pennypacker, office assistant, the team enlisted the support of the Northern Berks Ministerium Council and many volunteers from the community.
“Having been a case worker for over five years, I saw a need to expand our services to those living in our Northern Berks Communities,” said Correll.
Barbra Seidel, Kira Kolbe, Megan Dissinger, Judy Levermore, Harvey Lengel, just to name a few, worked through the summer preparing the store and processing thousands of pounds of donations. The store continues to process an average of 1,000 pounds of donations weekly.
In the fall of 2016, Susan Carlson, store manager, joined the team to shepherd the store through the final stages of hiring and training store staff, to opening the doors to the public in the middle of October 2016. Peggy Epler, assistant store manager, joined the team to impart her 40 years of merchandizing experience to make the store beautifully organized.
“It is wonderful to know we have been able to directly help those in need,” said Carlson. “Like the time an entire family came in after a house fire. In the face of such hardship, it has been our privilege to see their faces light up with joy.”
“We can afford to be so generous because the community has been so generous to us,” said Epler.
“It has been so exciting to see how a genuine community need led to a vision, which one year later led us to having a fully operating Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center,” said Netznik. “Through this special store, the volunteers and staff of The Salvation Army are now helping those in the most need in our community by providing free clothing, providing those in our community with affordable clothing, providing an opportunity for the entire public to help their neighbor by donating their used clothing, providing a volunteer opportunity for neighbors of all ages from high school students to retirees, and providing a stable opportunity for employment for those in our community. Our store may be small, but it is mighty.”
“It’s been very rewarding to work with local students, some of who are completing their community service graduation projects,” said Carlson. “They not only see the inside of retail merchandizing, but they learn about donation processing. They see firsthand the volume and generosity of our community and also know they are making a positive contribution to our store and community. As I believe, one hand washes the other.”
“The need we saw a year ago is still here,” said Netznik. “In just the few short months we have been open, we have already given over $700 worth of clothing to those in need in the community for free. We are truly doing the most good to those in the most need. We are an agency of last resort and through this store, we can now assist our clients in a way in which we couldn’t before. When someone in need walks into our Service Center, we can walk them out the door and into the store for them to get what they need. Before, we had to first find transportation for our clients to get them to the next closest Salvation Army Family Store.”
The Family Store and Donation Center specializes in new and gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories. Within the 1,350 square foot store, there are many departments: children, men (jeans to suits), women (junior to plus sizes), shoes, handbags, belts, scarves, ties, and jewelry. There is also a fun Prom Dress section.
By shopping, volunteering or donating at the Hamburg Family Store, you are directly benefiting those in need in Hamburg and the Northern Berks communities, as all proceeds from the store go to support the services and programs provided by the Hamburg Service Extension Unit.
The Hamburg Salvation Army Service Extension Unit focuses on Community Welfare Programs which provide a safety net of basic needs to individuals and families in financial crisis.
During the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Berks and Schuylkill counties combined, Salvation Army helped 3,150 people, provided $91,475 in aid, and raised $42,181 at Christmas.
For the Kettle and Christmas Donations, 90 percent stays in local service unit, 10 percent is our tithe (used in six areas). Funds are used for Emergency Disaster Services, Camp Ladore, World Services (125 countries), Underfunded Units (Corps, DHQ), Corps (as needed), Territorial Headquarters.
“A year ago when we had the vision of opening a clothing center in Hamburg, our community believed in us. Our first monetary and spiritual support came from the Northern Berks Ministerium. They see first-hand the need in our communities,” said Netznik. “The Service Extension Department is the army behind the Army. We are the volunteers in the local neighborhoods across eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. And this Family Store is no exception. We couldn’t operate our store without our faithful army of volunteers sorting all of the daily donations that we have been blessed to receive. Because of our volunteers, we are able to keep our prices always affordable every day to help the single mom find clothes for her children for school, or the unemployed worker get a suit for a new job interview.”
“When we presented the idea of opening the family store, the churches and those living in our community provided an overwhelming amount of support and donations,” said Correll. “It grew beyond anything I could have imagined. It could not have been done without the dedication of our volunteers and the continued support of the community. Their support of the store helps my office increase our ability to ‘DO THE MOST GOOD.'”
“Our donations and volunteers are the backbone of our Hamburg Family Store,” said Epler. “Volunteers, with or without limitations, can make a positive contribution and are welcomed here.”
For more information about the Family Store, please contact, Susan Carlson at 484-660-3851. For more information about Service Extension, please contact, Cathy Correll at 610-562-8440.
The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware is a faith-based, comprehensive human service organization whose programs help individuals, families and whole communities lead healthier, safer and more productive lives. Since 1879, The Army has held a record of accomplishment stemming from its holistic approach to providing for the needs of the whole individual – physically, emotionally, economically and spiritually. The Army’s programming serves every zip code through 51 community centers, and 163 Service Units of volunteers throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Delaware. Programs and services include: shelter, hot meals, counseling, early childhood development, recreational opportunities, music programs, after-school arts and educational programs, job training, activities for older adults, spiritual development, and drug rehabilitation.
Mission Statement: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
