HomeAid Northern Virginia, Builder Captain K. Hovnanian Companies, and 26 trade partners have completed the renovation of ACTS’ Thrift Store in Dumfries, VA, transforming the metal shed building – formerly an auto parts supply store – into a beautiful retail shop with a showroom and separate administrative areas.

The project was a critically important one for ACTS and the people they serve: Donations and purchases from the thrift store result in unrestricted funding that ACTS uses to support those experiencing poverty or homelessness or who are survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault. Yet, three years ago the store was at risk of closing down entirely as sales performance was falling and the physical building was increasingly worn and cramped.

Recognizing that having a flexible source of funding was too important to lose, ACTS reached out to HomeAid for help with the building and reached inward to retrain staff, revamp internal processes, and ensure that shoppers and donors alike felt seen and treated with dignity.

To ensure no loss of revenue during the construction process, K. Hovnanian and its partners committed to working around staff and shoppers, completing the entire project without having to close down the store. Interior aisles were widened to make for a more pleasurable shopping experience, while decorative molding, new lighting, paint on the walls and ceiling, and sparkling new windows further elevated the retail experience. The new office area, featuring built-in cabinetry, storage, and dedicated workspace, as well as a beautiful breakroom and renovated bathroom, provides staff with the professional environment they need to provide great service. And, to welcome shoppers in, the exterior was totally transformed from a dingy warehouse into a show-stopping store with a new brick façade, landscaping, lighting, and signage.

Foot traffic and sales numbers are already exceeding ACTS’ stretch goals, meaning the all-important flexibility of funding is secured for the people ACTS serves from three local shelters. Some may come with only the shirts on their backs, needing every basic necessity. Others may have urgently escaped their homes, having to leave behind their work clothes. No matter the situation, ACTS Thrift Store can provide vouchers to cover everything one might need – including clothing, shoes, toys, household wares, furniture, jewelry, and accessories – in addition to using funding from the sale of donated items to provide further support through programming.

The Thrift Store renovation marks the 10th project we’ve completed with ACTS, totaling a $2 million investment in their facilities and in support of their many life changing programs.