A new thrift store in town, Ellie Lou’s Thrift Emporium, 325 Commercial St., is opening with a mission — a mission to help people in need.
Ellen Powers, of Emporia, is opening Ellie Lou’s on Monday. Powers, who is taking donations for a variety of items for the stores, will donate proceeds to support local ministries and charities and provide emergency relief for those in need.
Powers said she saw a need in Emporia and decided to open up the thrift shop. She was going to operate the store for herself, but decided to help her church’s Hispanic ministry. Proceeds will go to help support the ministry’s activities.
Mark Henson, pastor of Emporia’s First Church of the Nazarene, said the church has a Hispanic ministry. He said a demographic study in Emporia revealed that Emporia has a large Hispanic population and the church decided to reach out to the population. The church recently brought in a pastor from Guatemala to help with the efforts. The church is helping to support the new pastor and his family in Emporia.
“They came here with six suitcases,” Henson said, adding that the family sold everything they owned and re-located to the United States to minister.
Powers said she hopes to support the church’s ministry through the thrift store. Powers grew up on a sod farm in Wisconsin that used immigrant workers. She was about 15 years old when she felt the calling to reach out to the population. The thrift store gives her an opportunity to do that, she said. But it doesn’t stop there. She also will have a can drive, which will be donated back to local food pantries. People can get discounted items if they bring in non-perishable food.
The thrift store also helps those who shop, Powers said. She said her store will offer quality items at discounted prices — something not everybody can otherwise afford. The store has a variety of donated items already, from clothes to jewelry and everything in between.
“I do want it to be fun,” she said. “I want it to be enjoyable. I’ve been amazed at the quality of things that we’ve gotten. Some of it is people that have gone into their houses and dug deep and say, ‘I want to help.’”
So far, donations have come in from Emporia and as far as Madison, Olpe and Hamilton. One individual donated an estate already, Powers said.
“So far we really haven’t asked (for donations and help),” Powers said. “It just snowballed.”
And snowballed it has. Powers said she was only going to open up two rooms in the store but with the first donation alone, she realized it needed to be expanded to all three rooms.
“It’s going to take more than expected,” she said. “Again, it’s snowballed and when you see an opportunity present itself, you ride the pony.”
Everything that Powers can’t use, she’s recycling, she said. Some of the old shoes are being sent to Africa. Old clothes are being turned into rags. Metal, cardboard, plastic and other items are being recycled as well.
“Our motto here is re-use, reduce and re-style,” she said.
Beyond all else, the store is about helping others, Henson said.
“The long and short of it is, Ellen is not opening it just for herself,” he said. “... It’s not only going to fund the ministry but helps people with items such as coats. ...”
After Monday’s opening, the store it will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Until opening, donations are accepted during business hours. For more information, call 757-6585. Items donated must be clean, in good repair and odor-free. For a complete list of items that can be donated, call Powers.