RESCUE MISSION THRIFT STORE HAS ITS EYE ON MARKETS AROUND GLOBE.Byline: Don Holland Daily News Staff Writer In a new twist to that old rags-to-riches story, the Ventura County Rescue Mission's thrift thrift: see leadwort. store is going global, selling used clothing to overseas markets. Last month the mission sold its first shipment - 40,000 pounds of trousers Trousers (or pants in Canada, South Africa and the United States, and sometimes called slacks or breeches — often pronounced /bɹɪtʃɪz/ , shirts and other items - to an African clothing buyer. After it moves into its new, expanded thrift store in a few months, the mission hopes to ship 50,000 pounds of clothing a month to buyers as near as Mexico and as far as Africa, Pakistan and possibly Russia. ``We've developed some of our own markets,'' said Jerry Roberg, executive director of the Rescue Mission Alliance, the mission's umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or . ``There are places in Mexico, Africa, places all over the world where people need clothing. So this is just another way for us to make the most of what we get.'' Some of the clothing donated do·nate v. do·nat·ed, do·nat·ing, do·nates v.tr. To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute. v.intr. To make a contribution to a fund or cause. to the thrift store just doesn't sell, even at bargain prices. Other items are missing buttons, are stained or have holes and never make it to the sales floor. Yet they're too good to throw away. So they're sorted and baled in back of the store. Stained cotton items are shipped to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to become industrial rags. The rest is sold to used-clothing brokers for 30 to 70 cents per pound, depending on the type of clothing, said Joe Thomas Joe Thomas may refer to:
sales manager n → directeur commercial sales manager sale n → . A single shipment could bring in $30,000 or more. ``We hope in the future to hook up with a ministry overseas where we'll teach them how to run a thrift store and they would buy our textiles,'' said Thomas, who also oversees the mission's used-car sales sites in Oxnard and Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. . ``We're in it to make money because that's how we run our ministry. But we'll also be spreading the Gospel.'' The mission's parent organization recently bought a building in the 800 block of Oxnard Boulevard that will soon be headquarters for the mission's vocational training center and home to a 20,000-square-foot thrift store, the largest in the county, said Roberg, who founded the mission along with his wife in 1988. ``The reason we do this is so we can (run the mission programs),'' Roberg said. ``You can get them fixed up on the inside and help them spiritually, emotionally and physically. But if they can't get from that point to where they've got meaningful work and purpose in their life, they just end up back taking drugs and living on the street.'' The mission provides beds for 200 homeless people, as well as showers, meals, guidance and vocational training. It also serves 700 meals a day. |
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