Nearly three months after a fire tore through the historic store, the family-owned Outreach Thrift Store has reached a new normal.
“All the clothes, all the household items, everything else that was in there was gone,” said Kasey Vellekamp, one of the owners. “It's just lost.”
On April 28, a fire severely damaged the multi-story blue-and-red building on Northwest Sixth Street that housed Outreach Thrift for 12 years, prompting a temporary relocation to 927 NW 13th St.
The fire destroyed all of the merchandise from the one-story side of the building, Vellekamp said, while the two-story side was damaged by smoke. All of the goods in the building became unsellable.
The 1,000-square-foot temporary location is currently filled wall-to-wall with clothing and other merchandise, none of which was salvaged from the fire.
“Five times the amount that you see here was lost,” Vellekamp said. “I don't know how to put that in numbers.”
The only things that survived the flames were the metal clothing racks from the north side of the building.
“Oh, those were awful to clean,” she said.
Her husband’s family started Outreach Thrift 38 years ago. The store’s goal is to give back to the community by providing clothes at reasonable prices, she said.
Following a brief dip, the price of clothing has been on the rise since 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It has recently surpassed prices in the ‘90s, marking the biggest spike to date.
About 72% of consumers say the increasing prices are affecting their spending habits, according to a ThredUp Research report. Over 25% have been prompted to shop secondhand more often.
The store partners with local organizations such as Meridian Healthcare, United Methodist Church and House of Hope, Vellekamp said. The organizations send people to the store to shop for free so Outreach Thrift can ensure it helps those who truly need it.
In the wake of the fire, the family-owned business hoped to resume operations by hosting pop-up events outside of the newly vacated building. But in the mid-summer heat, these pop-ups have proven themselves difficult to run.
Staff jumped at the opportunity for a temporary, air-conditioned location when they saw the building available for lease on Northwest 13th Street, Vellekamp said. Renovations started as soon as the lease was signed.
Within a week, she said, the floor was replaced, shelves were torn down, racks were moved in, dressing rooms were built and walls were painted.
Juniper Crumb, who has been working at Outreach for around six months, said the staff and owners worked hard to revamp the old printing shop.
“We made the space ours, pretty much,” Crumb said. “It was a very big job, but it was very rewarding to see at the end of the day.”
The clothes for sale at the temporary location came from community donations after the fire, she said, and their warehouse near the old Lighting Gallery location. Donations from the shop’s GoFundMe helped pay employees while the store was shut down.
“Without the community, really we wouldn't be anywhere,” she said.
Donations are currently being accepted every day at the new location. They can also be dropped off at the old location on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The store has used social media and physical signs to advertise the opening of the temporary location. Its Google Maps location has been changed to the new address, while the Apple Maps update is still in the works.
Crumb noticed the store was slow right after the move, she said.
“I don’t think a lot of people knew we were over here,” she said. “But I would say it's definitely, definitely picked up.”
Katelyn Goodell, a 26-year-old UF veterinary student, had visited the old location multiple times before the fire and has been to the new location twice.
She’s shopped at Outreach Thrift throughout her time at UF, she said, and she likes the shop’s atmosphere and friendly staff, who go out of their way to connect with customers.
The two buildings may look different from the outside, but Goodell said the well-organized inside of the temporary location is just like the old one.
“I feel like it's pretty similar,” Goodell said. “This one's obviously smaller, but I still feel like I can find anything I am looking for.”
On her most recent thrifting trip, she picked up a colorful $1 flower ring. She’s found it easy to find unique items whenever she stops by, she said.
And even if Goodell doesn’t find anything she wants to buy, it’s fun just looking around, she added.
Outreach Thrift owner Vellekamp said she has noticed new customers coming into the store since opening the temporary location, which she attributes to its increased visibility.
“It’s so funny because we’re only a mile away from where we were," she said. “But there's people who come in off of this street who never knew we were on Sixth Street.”
All of the permits have been approved for the reconstruction, Vellekamp said. They’re just waiting for it to begin.
Vellekamp believes construction on the old building will be completed in eight or nine months.
“It’s probably going slower than I want it to go,” she said. “But it’s going.”
Addison Gload is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
