Twitter

For the work they do and the services they provide, the City Mission Thrift Stores – particularly the one in Canonsburg – were voted Best in the Burgh by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine for the second consecutive year. The money from sales at the stores support City Mission, which accepts the homeless and aims to set them on a recuperative path.

Trisha Schum, Gary Porter, and Sue Gartland of City Mission display Pittsburgh Magazine's Best of the Burgh award for the Mission's Thrift Shops.

Sue Gartland, Trisha Schum, and Gary Porter of City Mission in front of the Canonsburg Thrift Store.

This life-changing organization in Washington, Pa., started in 1941 as a storefront that provided a bowl of soup and a place to sleep for up to eight people. It has since turned into a 175-bed facility comprising four separate shelters, one each for men, women, women with children, and veterans. And more than just a bowl of soup, it provides a transformational recovery program.

Trisha Schum, director of development, explained, "We work with the homeless to help improve their lives and get them back on their feet. The proceeds from the thrift stores help to do all of that."

The eight City Mission Thrift Stores are located in Belle Vernon, Canonsburg, Monongahela, North Strabane, Rostraver Township, Uniontown, Washington, and Waynesburg.  Everything sold in the stores goes back into the mission, to run all of the programs offered to the homeless.

Those programs are designed to help transform individuals from homelessness to independent living, and along with food, clothing, and shelter, they provide medical services, legal assistance, and case management. The transformational recovery program encompasses addiction recovery, Biblically based counseling, parenting, job training, and vocational classes, among others.

The stores, and the 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse where donations are stored and distributed, also provide work experience for the residents, and the warehouse in Washington is where they can participate in the work therapy program. According to Schum, by working in the stores or the warehouse, individuals can gain experience and receive forklift or retail or other certifications. "So they're that much closer to being ready to join the workforce again."

The average stay at the Mission is between six and 18 months. "It doesn't take them a month to get homeless, so it does take a little time to work through the program. We give them as much as they need to be able to get on their feet again."

As to why the stores were voted the best, Schum said she believes it's a true testament to the managers and staff who work there. "I think all of them really do make a connection with the customers who come in." She added that the stores "make things more affordable for people who may not be able to buy at retail. It's really helpful for the communities they're in."

• < Prev
• Next >