Jeannette thrift store opening in new spot after previous location is sold - TribLIVE

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The St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Jeannette appears to have found a new home.

The store, which was forced to close its Clay Avenue location in December, will be setting up shop at the intersection of North First Street and Harrison Avenue. President Marilyn Lander said she hopes the doors can open to the public in October.

“I just think it’s going to be wonderful,” she said. “It’s a good location.”

The store closed at the end of 2019 after the three-story building where it was housed was being sold. Volunteers scrambled then to find a new location but weren’t initially successful, leaving them and the less fortunate who depend on the faith-based nonprofit in a tough spot.

In the months that followed, volunteers kept their eyes open, eventually settling on the former Arlington Shoes & Repairing building while the inside was being remodeled. That property was sold in May 2019, according to Westmoreland County deeds. The nonprofit recently signed a lease agreement and will get the keys Oct. 1, Lander said.

“I hope we’re ready to go by the middle of October,” she said.

The store sells second-hand clothing, housewares, furniture and other times and, in turn, helps residents who need assistance with paying bills and buying food. The nonprofit distributes at least $30,000 annually to people in Jeannette, Harrison City, Trafford, Penn and Adamsburg.

During the past nine months, anyone who needed help was referred to the Greensburg St. Vincent de Paul store. Once the Jeannette location is back up and running, volunteers will be able to resume their assistance program, Lander said.

Even though there was a nine-month lull, the new location opportunity came at a perfect time. Had the organization found a suitable spot earlier this year, the store would have had to temporarily shutter anyway because of state-mandated restrictions for the closure of non-life sustaining businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, Lander said.

“I knew we’d find something better than ever,” she said. “I had no idea where it was going to be.”

Her late husband, Leonard “Red” Lander, founded the Jeannette store and managed it for nearly 30 years. The store had been at the Clay Avenue location for about 17 years.

The new spot will be filled with donations from other area St. Vincent de Paul stores for its opening, as well as items volunteers have been saving, Lander said. Donations from the public are not being accepted yet. She was happy to know that the majority of volunteers are willing to return.

“We’re all thrilled,” she said.

The Clay Avenue building, an old furniture store built in the 1920s, was sold Jan. 15 to Hanadynamics LLC of Harrison City for $22,500 by Helping Hands of America on behalf of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, according to Westmoreland County deeds. A sign on the outside of the building says it is available for lease. Hanadynamics registered with the state in July 2019.

A website for the company, which is described as a nanobiotechnology firm, lists its address as the Clay Avenue building. The city has not approved the building for occupancy.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Local | Westmoreland