A thrift store run by Volunteers of America of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho has been reopened at a 21,000-square-foot leased space at 6206 E. Trent, in Spokane Valley, following the loss of its building and inventory in December 2008.

The roof of the 30,000-square-foot warehouse it had been leasing at 1010 N. Atlantic, in Spokane, collapsed under heavy snow several days after Christmas in 2008, says the store's co-manager Bill Mitchell. Inventory not destroyed by that incident was moved to another warehouse. Three days later, the roof of that building also collapsed, leaving the organization with very little to sell, he says.

The loss was covered only partially by insurance, says Marilee Roloff, executive director of the VOA chapter here.

The organization then spent 12 months looking for a new building. It took another three months to get an amendment to Spokane Valley's municipal code approved allowing a second-hand store in a light industrial zone, Mitchell says. VOA has been seeking donations of used items to rebuild its inventory.

The organization has spent $40,000 to $50,000 renovating the new space, and another $60,000 for furniture and fixtures, he says.

Mitchell adds that the store's inventory is "not up to capacity yet, but it's getting close." He says it receives through phone solicitation 99 percent of the donated items it sells. Mitchell drives a truck around the city picking up donated items. Other inventory comes from store liquidations.

The thrift store sells furniture, housewares, clothing, books, toys, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, musical instruments, and vintage items. It has about 18 full-time employees, and about three part-time workers. Overall, VOA has 100 employees in the Spokane area, and 500 to 700 volunteers who work in its programs each year, says Roloff.

About 10 percent of the nonprofit's revenues come from its thrift store's income. The rest of its revenue comes from contracts with the city of Spokane, Spokane County, and state and federal agencies for services it provides, Roloff says.

Volunteers of America operates the Crosswalk shelter for teens, the Hope House shelter for single women, Alexandria's House for teen mothers with babies, two homes for homeless veterans, and housing for disabled adults. It also provides services for families and teens in foster care. In Coeur d'Alene, it runs a youth drop-in center called Project Safe Place.