BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A ribbon cutting happened Thursday to officially mark the grand opening of St. Teresa Thrift Store.

What You Need To Know

  • The St. Teresa Thrift Store relocated after it got severely damaged by a tornado in 2021

  • The thrift store held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark its official reopening

  • The thrift store's main objective is to help low-income families get needed items

  • They also provide items for free to other nonprofits in the area 

The thrift store moved after it got severely damaged by a tornado in 2021.

And now, the thrift store is open again and has one objective. The purpose of the business is not exactly to make money, but rather to help those in low-income families.

“You’ll see a price on it, but our employees slap a price tag on there,” Executive Director Kelly Wiseman said. 

“They got online, the researched the value, and then look at the price and say ‘Okay, what’s affordable for someone to come in here and shop,’” she explained.

One example of this is when the employees priced an item less than $70 when its original retail price was $800. 

“This is what we made it as because we want it to be affordable,” Wiseman said. “So the customer knows: Hey, you’re getting a really nice piece for a good price!” 

The thrift store also gives away their items for free to those who have reached out from other nonprofits.

“When someone from the food pantry needs something, such as something for their bed, we can give it to them,” Store Manager Patty Polston said.

“Because, when you think about it, when you’re homeless, you literally have nothing. You’re living on the street. They need sheets, they need bedspreads. And we give it to them,” Polson explained.

An act of kindness, which brings a vibrant atmosphere to this new business.

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