Hibbing Family Store to close its doors
Written by Jeffrey DeMars, divisional media relations director for The Salvation Army Northern Division
The Salvation Army Family Store in Hibbing will close its doors at the end of the day on Saturday, Sept. 17. Effective immediately the store will no longer accept donations, and is only selling what it currently has in stock.
“We worked really hard to try and keep it open,” said Captain Mitch Brecto, Hibbing Salvation Army administrator. “Everybody has put in extra hours these past several months to try and make it work, but unfortunately it’s just become too much of a burden to keep it open.”
The family store operates very much like a small business. While donations supply the store with items to sell, there are also operational costs that have to be met. The purpose of the stores is to generate a profit to help pay for the Army’s programs and services.
The Salvation Army of Hibbing hoped that a new store in a new location would help. However, the new space has not met expectations and failed to generate enough sales to keep it open.
The store has one full-time and three part-time employees, along with a staff of volunteers. The Salvation Army appreciates all of their hard work and is dedicated to helping them find new employment.
“This wasn’t an easy decision, but we were left with few options,” explained Capt. Brecto. “While it may be difficult at first, we hope all the hours and energy that everyone spent trying to save the store can now be redirected to our programs and services to help make them better than ever.”
No other Salvation Army programs or services will be eliminated. The Army intends to continue serving in Hibbing, as it always has.
Please join The Salvation Army in Hibbing by volunteering, or making a donation to support your local community today.