It’s been an exciting time for the Rescue Ranch Thrift Store. Earlier this year, an opportunity came along to move across the street to 827 S. Main, in Yreka, California. After some deliberation, the decision was made. It was going to be a real challenge for store staff to make it happen in time for the holidays. Somehow they managed. Last week, the new Rescue Ranch Thrift Store celebrated its Grand Opening. And, just two days later, it was even ready to host our annual “Santa Paws” event.
Grand Opening of new, much bigger, Rescue Ranch Thrift Store
The store opened on Thursday, December 1, at 10 a.m. Due to an unforeseen delay, I arrived later than I had planned at 12:40 p.m. By the time I got there, they had already served over 110 customers, and all of the large decorated Christmas trees had been sold. I couldn’t believe it! Thankfully, one tree had not been picked up yet and was still there to lend some Christmas cheer to this post. Store staff informed me that, when they opened in the morning, customers had already formed a long line at the door. Their enthusiasm was heartwarming.
In honor of the Grand Opening, beautiful cakes and baked goods were on display, tempting everyone who walked by. Shoppers were invited to bid on the delectable goodies in a silent auction. Nearby, the new, roomier checkout counter made it much easier for staff to attend to customers.
At roughly 14,000 total square feet, the new location is several times larger than the previous one. Shoppers have 6,000 square feet to explore offerings in the front of the building. A doorway at the back of the store, opens up to a wide storage area, where there’s plenty of room for furniture and other goods, as well as the new dedicated office spaces for accounting and other administrative purposes. And, in addition to the great new digs, there’s also plenty of parking, a popular feature among the customers I spoke with.
Santa Paws 2022 and live music by Kinfolk
It was wonderful to have “Santa Paws” at the new store this year. On the following Saturday, families came in with their pets to be photographed with veteran Santa Mike Nolen. Meanwhile, shoppers enjoyed the live music by of local band Kinfolk performing a mixuture of styles that band leader Bruce calls “Americana.”
Santa sat in front of a festive seasonal backdrop near the new offices in the storage area. After decades of playing Father Christmas at different venues, like shopping malls, hospitals, and schools, Mike is an old hand at the role. He helped get dogs of all shapes and sizes into position, posed with children, and, later that day, held cats in his armsfor the purrfect shot.
Katie Boswell, of Blissful Moments Photography, worked quickly to get the shot before the pets lost interest. The pictures came out great and are available for free dowload from her webpage. Just hover over your photo and click the download arrow icon.
