A new location for a popular basement thrift store in Hastings will give locals easier access to its inventory of hidden treasures. Crossroads Mission Avenue will open the doors of its 6,500-square-foot building at 115 S. Elm Ave.
on Monday, bringing a close to its former store location situated beneath the Crossroads Mission building at 702 W. 14th St. The new location is best known as a former Jack-'n'-Jill grocery store.
With its extended hours and more accessible location, Crossroads Executive Director Daniel Buller thinks those who shop the new location will enjoy a far superior shopping experience to that which they experienced at the former location. Extended hours will make the store accessible from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.
m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday. "People will see that there is more to choose from," Buller said. "We were very limited on space in the other building.
There were limitations: they had to go down steep stairs, and the parking wasn't good at all. We're excited to get out." As employees ready the store for its Monday reveal, Buller said he likes what he sees.
Already it is evident the new location will provide a far superior fit for area customers perusing the store's increased selection of clothing, housewares, furniture, jewelry, antiques and books, and more. "When we bought this facility, we had a vision for the outcome of our renovation of this building," he said. "This is way better than we ever dreamed.
It is accessible for people with physical limitations and on top of that, just a beautiful location." The new store location represents one of six thrift stores operated by Crossroads Mission Avenue, joining stores in Kearney, Grand Island, Holdrege, Lexington and Broken Bow. The revenue they generate accounts for about one-third of operation costs annually, Buller said.
"They are a huge sustainability piece when we talk about our main mission, which is serving the homeless," he said. The Elm Avenue store will continue to serve as a hub for local customers looking to purchase low-cost clothing and household goods. Every sale supports the efforts of Crossroads Mission Avenue as it provide homeless services in Adams County, providing revenue and community outreach opportunities for clients looking to better themselves.
"The unique thing about our stores is that a lot of people from our programs work for us," Buller said. "Once they get on their feet, we're able to offer employment opportunities to them." The Elm Avenue store will continue to employ six Adams County residents who work alongside 49 volunteers who have donated more than 2,500 hours in the store in 2024.
Mission Avenue Thrift Stores also supply recycling opportunities for Nebraskans looking to make use of their no-longer-needed items by accepting donations of gently used merchandise at area donation bins located conveniently throughout the region. Crossroads will recycle and reuse around 1.2 million pounds of metal, books, clothing, toys, shoes and accessories this year, keeping them out of Nebraska landfills.
Buller notes the process for donating items to the new store will remain unchanged. The most notable change between the two locations will be the increased number of items available for purchase at the Elm Avenue location. "We'll still take the same items we've always taken," he said.
"We're just making it easier to drop off. It's a better location." Once emptied, the former basement location space at the shelter will be used to stock pantry items for Crossroads' newest endeavor, a Retail Rescue food pantry distributing expired but still usable food items to service locations in Hastings, Kearney, Grand Island and 15 other food pantries across south central and southwestern Nebraska.
Mission Avenue Thrift Stores offer vouchers for clothing and household goods at no cost to families referred by a community agency. This year alone, the Hastings location has supplied more than $20,000 worth of merchandise to 634 needy individuals. In addition to offering emergency shelter and transitional housing services in coordination with the state probation, drug court and parole systems, the Hastings store extends services that include life-skills classes, hot meals, and one-on-one case management to help those immersed in the program attain gainful employment, financial independence, and stable housing.
More than 750 men, women and families are slated to receive life-altering care on the Hastings campus this year..
