Store to close occasionally when volunteers cannot fill shifts

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

ust three years after a group of local residents were able to stave off a potential closure of the Salvation Army thrift store in Henning, a new call is being placed for additional volunteers to help keep the doors of the busy downtown Henning store open.

Vicki Goodale, who is the manager of the local Salvation Army thrift store, is making a plea for an additional 3-4 volunteers. She said one of her current volunteers cannot work at this time, while several other volunteers go south for the winter. 

If additional help is not found the doors will need to close when Goodale, or other volunteers, are not available to work. The store is overseen by the Fergus Falls Salvation Army who has stated in the past that volunteers are needed to work shifts at the store in order to keep it open in town. 

Volunteers do everything from hanging clothes, pricing items, help people with merchandise and even help to keep the store picked up throughout the day. Goodale said volunteering at the Salvation Army provides people a great opportunity to catch up with one another, as well as a chance to break of the monotony of the day.

“It can be a social time,” said Goodale. “It is just so we get merchandise on the floor and it is priced and presentable.”

Goodale said there is a big need in the community for the thrift store, which is bustling with activity most days. The biggest challenge is making sure it is properly staffed with volunteers. 

“There is a need in this town,” said Goodale of the store. 

Volunteers can be anyone from high schoolers looking to get in some community service hours for school to retired people just looking to lend a hand in the community. Goodale said Henning School has been a big asset in having a few students volunteer their time at least once a week to help stock shelves.

“The school has been really good about bringing down a couple of girls, especially on Wednesday for an hour,” she said. 

Goodale said she would be willing to work around most schedules if a person could help one day a week, or even just a few times a month. The biggest challenge is finding people to volunteer on Saturday when the store is open.

Anyone who would like to volunteer at the Salvation Army thrift store in Henning is asked to stop by the store and fill out a volunteer application. The store is located in downtown Henning and is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.