Like many businesses labeled non-essential, the Rifle Thrift Shop is facing challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the all-volunteer run store plans to still award ITS annual scholarships to local high school students.
Although the store has been closed due to the virus, volunteers are working to adjust to the new normal and have moved the scholarship deadline to May 22.
“We haven’t received a lot of applications, so we moved the date to give people more time. We realized the message wasn’t getting to a lot of people,” longtime volunteer Snyder said.
Each year since the opening over 40 years ago, the small thrift store offered three scholarships to Rifle High School, two to Coal Ridge High School and one to Grand Valley High School. Each scholarship is for $2,000 and may be used for a college or a trade school, but they must attend in Colorado.
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Scholarships typically are awarded during graduation, but with the changes this year the thrift store plans to meet in mid-June to decide this year’s recipients.
Besides awarding scholarships the store also donates money to help adults get retrained following a job loss. Rifle Thrift Store donates money to Salvation Army, Feed My Sheep, Extended Table and other community needs.
Located in downtown Rifle on East Avenue, the store offers inexpensive second clothing, antiques and more.
The store is not currently taking donations during the closure, and Snyder hopes residents will refrain from dropping off items during this time.
Snyder said that people have continued to drop off items during the closure, and volunteers have had to clean up unsellable items. Like most second hand stores the thrift store does not take mattresses, televisions or stained or broken items.
“We feel at this time with the crisis this nation is facing we like to notify everyone of our location and also let people know what we accept for donations,” Snyder said.