Charity Thrift Stores Getting More Business as Economy Struggles

Thrift stores and other operations that help those in need are doing well in and around Detroit lately, largely because of the state’s struggling economy, reports The Detroit News.

While old standards like the Salvation Army and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are expanding throughout the metropolitan region, smaller independent shops are also doing well, the newspaper reports. But as the number of thrift locations grows, the stock of donated goods at each declines, charity leaders say.

One organization, the Furniture Bank, reported that it now maintains its longest waiting list—comprising 650 families—in three years. Colette Kelly, the charity’s executive director, says more people are one paycheck away from financial crisis.

“If your refrigerator dies, no one has $350 to buy a new one,” Ms. Kelly told the News. “If something goes wrong, there’s nothing left over.”