Update: Bushwick's Salvation Army Thrift Store Has Re-Opened

Pictured: the thrift store at 937 Broadway. Photo by John V. Santore

Update: Tim Raines, a Salvation Army spokesman, told Patch on Friday that the thrift store re-opened Thursday afternoon, after being closed for about a week due to a "personnel" matter that's been resolved.

Raines said the store's initial pricing model — most of its goods were sold for $1 dollar — was changed several weeks ago, allowing the shop to set a more typical range of prices.

Asked if the store was going to be able to remain open, Raines said, "I certainly hope so," adding that on Thursday, customers "were patiently waiting outside and, actually, pushed us to reopen a day before we had planned."

Salvation Army thrift shops provide valuable deals for community members, Raines said, but they also have to support the organization's rehab programming. If they can't do that, he said, the group has a hard time keeping thrift stores in business.

Finally, Raines stressed that K2 use in the area had no connection to the store's temporary closure, noting that Salvation Army's drug rehab center at 62 Hanson Pl. in Fort Greene can work with those suffering from addiction. The center can be reached by calling 800-728-7825.

H/T to Emilie Ruscoe for this update. Below is Patch's original story from Thursday:

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A Salvation Army thrift store in Bushwick that opened in May has closed — though its future remains unclear.

When it opened on May 6, the thrift store, located at 937 Broadway, was the only such operation in northern Brooklyn, after the charity closed its Greenpoint location last year.

For its first month, the store planned to sell nearly everything for $1, according to Major Joe Irvine, who heads the charity's Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC).

Proceeds from New York City's Salvation Army thrift stores fund the ARC. The free, faith-based program runs a 135-bed addiction treatment facility at 62 Hanson Pl. in Fort Greene.

But this week, while covering the shocking mass K2 overdose that took hold of the intersection at Broadway and Myrtle Avenue, Patch noticed a sign on the thrift store's door saying it was "closed till further notice."

We've reached out to the Salvation Army for comment, and we'll update this post when we learn more.