BengalNews Reporters
It is smaller than your neighborhood thrift shop, not located near a plaza or any area you would classify as a shopping district and it is not run by a big corporation. New to You is a small thrift shop on the West Side with more to offer than what meets the eye.
In a small but cozy storefront located at 289 Grant St., the New to You shop offers a variety of lightly used items from vinyl records and sofas to clothing, china dolls and TVs. New to You is also a safe haven for young individuals in need of employment and on-the-job training for immigrants from other countries.
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| New to You employees Jackie Douth and Kiera Pierre |
On the Job Ministries, a nonprofit organization that runs the New to You shop, Soap Works and Westside Wheels through a collaboration between West Side Ministries, Inc. and Peace of the City Ministries, has went the extra mile in helping the students and immigrants in the community find and keep employment.
“Peace of the City Ministries is an after-school program that meets the needs of kindergarten through 16-year-olds,” said Kim DeFlyer, executive director of On the Job Ministries.
“We developed these small businesses in the after-school program and when they got so big, we brought them, the thrift store, the soap and the bikes out of the after-school program and put a business on Grant Street,” she said.
Five years ago, On the Job Ministries opened the New to You Shop doors on Grant Street to accomplish three goals.
“[We have] three goals, to provide a safe environment for young people to work at and grow, to bring low cost goods into the community and to build and grow more businesses so we can hire more kids,” DeFlyer said.“We employ about 30 students a year.”
The students come from all over the community as well as the entire city. The ages of the students typically hired through On the Job Ministries are 16 to 24, but they have hired students of any age going through any transition in their life.
“Anybody with a student I.D.,” DeFlyer said. “All shapes and sizes.”
The New to You shop is 70 percent self-sustaining straight from revenue. Grants and private donations help make up the other 30 percent of running the business.
“We encourage college students to shop here; we offer free delivery with student I.D.,” she said.
Whatever the need or situation, On the Job Ministries is willing to lend a helping hand in any way they can as long as you return the help by volunteering at the New to You shop, help make soup or help restore someone’s bicycle for Westside Wheels.
New to You has been more than just a transitional job for Kiera Pierre, 20, supervisor and warehouse coordinator.
“I started after-school about eight hours a week,” she said.
Pierre has worked at the shop for about three years now.
“I just stuck to it and eventually I went from assistant manager to now, supervisor and warehouse coordinator. I think the skills at this job actually help you in life,” Pierre said. “You actually have to try and work, it is not like McDonald’s or assembly work.”
Pierre, a West Side resident who graduated from McKinley and plans to attend Erie Community College in the spring.
One of the newest employees of the New to You shop is Jackie Douth, 18, a senior at Lafayette High School.
“I’ve only been working three days now. My cousin told me about it, I was looking for a job and he said ‘I know somebody who is hiring,’” Douth said. “So I walked in, got an application, and got hired.”
With help from On the Job Ministries, Douth will have learned on-the-job skills to help her with her future endeavors. Douth plans to go to school for nursing.
On the Job Ministries teaches life skills, as well as helping each individual meet his or her own goals.
“It teaches us how to best bring resources into the neighborhood,” DeFlyer said.
New to You is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can donate your lightly used household goods and appliances on Saturdays from 12-4 p.m. Edited by Melissa Kania
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