Residents of Elkhart, Ind., have a new option when shopping for affordable clothing, home goods and furniture. Thrift at Woodland Crossing held a grand opening ceremony Aug. 18.
The store joins a network of more than 85 not-for-profit shops in the Mennonite Central Committee Thrift network.
MCC Great Lakes executive director Eric Kurtz worked with a team of church and community members since February of 2020 to bring this thrift shop to the community.
“South-central Elkhart is a part of town that has been overlooked by so much economic development,” he said. “It’s also a place where Mennonites have been for decades and where a key planning meeting for the formation of MCC took place in 1920 at Prairie Street Mennonite Church.”
Mayor Rod Roberson took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Roberson has been encouraging the development of the thrift shop to revitalize the neighborhood.
“A lot of shops have moved out, and there just aren’t many options for people in the neighborhood,” he said. “We want to serve the community by providing items that are high quality but affordable. We envisioned a place where people would feel good about coming.”
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