WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Salvation Army is preparing to reopen seven of eight thrift stores in Central New York on Tuesday. The stores were forced to close in late March as Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued directives to control the spread of the novel coronavirus around New York state.
“Employees are ecstatic by the fact that we called them and said we’re going to be able to bring in our first phase of folks,” said Salvation Army Major Robert Miga, who oversees the organization’s Central New York area thrift stores.
The budget-friendly stores will reopen as Central New Yorkers battle record unemployment levels and struggle to make ends meet. According to the New York State Department of Labor, Central New York’s unemployment rate reached 16 percent last month. In April 2019, Central New York’s unemployment rate was just 3.9 percent.
The Salvation Army said its family stores employ more than 150 Central New Yorkers, and Miga said he hopes around 40 employees can return to work in the near term. The Erie Boulevard location in Syracuse is expected to open during the week of June 22, once previously scheduled renovations conclude.
Miga and his staff have been modifying store layouts and procedures to ensure customer and employee safety before reopening, including:
- Posting signage to direct foot traffic in store aisles
- Installing Plexiglas dividers at checkout counters
- Providing masks to employees and requiring all employees and customers to wear them
- Making hand sanitizer available at all locations
- Reeducating employees about health-specific practices, like regular washing of clothes racks in stores
- Limiting the number of customers allowed in each store at a given time
Thrift store revenue is the primary source of funding for the Salvation Army’s rehabilitation program, which offers individuals battling addiction or other challenges resources, therapy and training to help them return to self sufficiency. Miga said Salvation Army administrators at the state and regional level intervened to keep Central New York area rehabilitation centers open despite lost revenue from the store closures.
A complete list of Salvation Army stores around Central New York can be found at the links below.
