The Beacon House Thrift Shop – History
Little did we know!
The Beacon House Thrift Shop started with very humble beginnings.
For many years, Beacon House enjoyed a partnership with the YWCA. We joined forces in the early 2000s and co-operated the YWCA/Beacon House Thrift Shop.
Our store was located in the basement of the YWCA building on 9th St in San Pedro – right around the corner from our current San Pedro location. This small retail store was roughly 1,750 sq. ft. and generated approximately $300.00 daily to support both organizations’ missions.
Our store was located in the basement of the YWCA building on 9th St in San Pedro – right around the corner from our current San Pedro location. This small retail store was roughly 1,750 sq. ft. and generated approximately $300.00 daily to support both organizations’ missions.
In 2017, Beacon House leadership decided to branch off and launch an independent Thrift Shop location. After months and months of searching, we identified and secured our current location on Pacific Avenue. Our new location was almost three times the size of our previous location! This was a big step up for us.
Residents at the time worked tirelessly to clean up and improve the location – and in September 2018, we opened our doors to the public.
The Beacon House was able to secure this location with the help of several key relationships. The Slave 2 Nothing Foundation (In-N-Out Burger) provided the funding to cover the start-up costs and rent expenses for the first six months. Additionally, we had a solid customer base and support in the local community. These factors made our endeavor possible.
Residents at the time worked tirelessly to clean up and improve the location – and in September 2018, we opened our doors to the public.
The Beacon House was able to secure this location with the help of several key relationships. The Slave 2 Nothing Foundation (In-N-Out Burger) provided the funding to cover the start-up costs and rent expenses for the first six months. Additionally, we had a solid customer base and support in the local community. These factors made our endeavor possible.
The original name of our first location was The Beacon House Exchange – for over a year, we operated as such. In 2019, we decided to move towards opening another location. At the same time, we decided to change our enterprise’s name to the Beacon House Thrift Shop.
In 2020, we identified a large 13,300 sq. ft. retail space in the heart of Long Beach. This would prove to be our most significant endeavor yet. With the help of the Slave 2 Nothing Foundation, The Guenther Family Foundation, and the Swette Family Foundation, we secured funding to cover all the start-up costs for the first year.
Nine Beacon House residents volunteered to help open and run the store – and the rest is history.
Nine Beacon House residents volunteered to help open and run the store – and the rest is history.
Key Takeaways:
- Our beginnings were very humble!
- Our success today was made possible by the support of organizations that care about our mission.
- Many residents from years ago paved the way and were critical in establishing our thrift enterprise.