On December 24th 2010, a man walked into Shepherd of the Hill Lutheran Church with a check for $10,000.00 and a leather coat. He told the pastor that he wanted these items to “help someone” in the community. The donor was from the Lockport Community, and wished to remain anonymous. This money was the “seed “that would start the Lockport Resource Center. The Lockport Homer Area Ministerial Alliance had already begun talks regarding a place where members of the local community could have a “one stop shop” for help within our community. LHAMA is a group formed by seven local area churches:
- Cross of Glory Lutheran
- Shepherd of the Hill Lutheran
- First Congregational, United Church of Christ
- First United Methodist Church
- Christ United Methodist
- St John’s Episcopal Church
- Lifebridge
From that seed money, and the concept of the “one stop shop” as well as the work of many volunteers, the Lockport Resource Center was born.
The Lockport Resource Center opened its doors at 944 N. State St. in Lockport, on February 14, 2012. The concept of the store is simple; a place where a person could come in and purchase goods to outfit their home or their family with “gently” used goods at a very modest price. The store is entirely stocked with items that are donated by the community at large. The store is staffed and owned 100% by our volunteers. Proceeds from the store combined with donations from the local churches, businesses, and individuals fund the assistance programs. The Lockport Resource Center sponsors a No-Interest Loan Program, Lockport Resource Center Scholarship program, and provides financial support for Lockport FISH Food Pantry.
The Lockport Resource Center Thrift Store is run entirely by volunteers who are lovingly referred to as “ninjas”. This refers directly to their skill at going through donations and constantly arranging a vast array of different objects, quickly and efficiently. Ninjas come from all backgrounds and are a wide variety of age groups. The core group is supplemented by local school high school students, brownie, girl and boy scout troops, church groups, and local organizations who want to be a part of the Lockport Resource Center community.
Shortly before our first anniversary, the board of directors adopted the mission statement “Sharing God’s Love, people helping people” which all members of the Lockport Resource Center board and staff strive to live out every day. To that end the Thrift Shop generates sufficient income to keep the store open and the prices low. Since opening we have contributed the monetary equivalent of 20 tons of food to the FISH Food pantry. We have also collected food and school supplies that are donated by the member churches and shoppers at the Thrift Shop and distributed directly to the clients at FISH. The no-interest loan program combined with gas cards and referrals to other area agencies has helped over 50 households meet their financial needs. We have also partnered with local churches to make bicycles available to homeless members. Recently we partnered with the Lockport VFW to furnish four apartments for homeless veterans. Both the bicycle project and the furniture were provided to the recipients at no cost. These were special donations gathered from our social media fans and member churches.
Currently we have almost 500 Facebook friends and fans as social media continues to be a key component of our marketing strategy. Customers have completed purchases from out of state in addition to our dedicated local followers. Many high demand items move quickly as word spreads. Another trend, and benefit of our pricing strategy, are “keep the change” donations. When a shopping bag of select merchandise is priced at three, five or ten dollars, customers frequently drop their change in the donation jar, happy to give a little extra and appreciative of what they have received. The staff keeps a list of customers in particular need or seeking specific items to notify as they arrive. Many shoppers visit frequently just to keep up with the constantly changing inventory. Our Facebook page has even become a popular site for sharing employment opportunities.
The future is indeed bright for the LRC, with continuous donations and a growing clientele, the out of the way location has become a regular stop whether for shopping, browsing or other resources, including a kind word or a bit of conversation. As we enter our third year of service to the Lockport community, we look to build on our early success, maintain our accessible pricing and continue to grow relationships with the business community.
Customers, volunteers and visitors ask, “Who is the Lockport Resource Center?”. The LRC is the people who donate, volunteer, shop or otherwise use our resources. It is the community service volunteer who gets a fresh start, the unemployed person who is able to get a nice outfit for a job interview, the young person who has a dress for a dance or a new backpack to start school. We are owned by new moms and college students furnishing dorm rooms or apartments and retirees on a fixed income or who want to share their bowling scores. The LRC is a place to pick up a candy kiss, share a story and leave with a memory and a warm feeling. Sharing God’s love, people helping people. #thatswhatitsallabout
