Courtesy of HOPE of Apopka
Key Points
- A fire in May gutted Good Neighbor Place Thrift Store, halting its direct services but its lot still hosts meals and other services for the homeless.
- HOPE of Apopka served 53 people and distributed 93 to-go meals at a Christmas event on Sunday held outside the damaged thrift store.
- The building owner said he intends to restore and expand the structure to 5,500 sq. ft. with new facilities, targeting completion by March.
In May, a fire gutted the Good Neighbor Place Thrift Store on North Park Avenue, leaving the thrift store unable to continue serving the local low-income and homeless population.
However, as the Christmas season arrived, the charred remains didn’t stop the spirit of giving, as the thrift store’s parking lot continued to be a resource hub for the local homeless community.
Three Sundays of every month for nearly a year, the thrift store property has been the site of HOPE of Apopka’s efforts to serve meals to those experiencing homelessness. On Sunday, the grassroots organization celebrated Christmas with them, serving 53 people and distributing 93 to-go boxes filled with meals.
“Thanksgiving and Christmas, we do a big thing for them,” Kelly Eichner, HOPE of Apopka founder, said.
The impact of this consistency is felt deeply by those on the receiving end. Daniel Dennerline, 80, who has been homeless for five years following a predatory housing situation, attended the Dec. 21 celebration.
Despite facing health struggles and the recent theft of his belongings, he found a moment of peace at the thrift store event.
“The decoration, they always have good food, and just the whole idea itself [touched my heart],” Dennerline said through tears. “Kelly is lovely.”
Going into the next year, the building will be expanded and restored with more amenities available for volunteers to further serve and support people in need.
Dr. Dean Behner owns the North Park Avenue structure and leases it to the Apopka Seventh-day Adventist Church to operate its thrift store ministry.
“I know when [Behner] rebuilds this thrift store, he’s going to put offices in there and laundry facilities, so hopefully we can wash their clothes,” Eichner said.
Over the years, HOPE of Apopka had to frequently relocate throughout the community to continue its mission of supporting people experiencing homelessness. Previous locations included the First Methodist Church and Kit Land Nelson Park.
“We just keep getting thrown out of places,” said HOPE volunteer Joe Austin.
Besides meals, HOPE provides hygiene kits, clothing and even, once a quarter, veterinary care for pets through the organization Project Street Vet.
Behner is acquiring a permit from the city to restore and expand the building, adding 1,200 square feet to the existing structure for a total of 5,500 square feet.
“They have always wanted more space, so we will be providing that for them,” he said. “They are not going to, probably not offer anything different in that space, just additional ability to do what they’ve been doing. But everything will be like new.”
The restoration project will include new electrical, heating, air conditioning, windows, doors and a new roof. All in all, once the permit is obtained, March will be the target date of completion and occupancy, Behner said.
“I like the idea of them helping people,” he said. “I think it’s a great idea. That’s why I’m willing to give them the property so far at no charge, and I don’t plan to charge them for that back area property.”