Broken water pipe rains on cats’ and dogs’ shelter thrift store
After a tough 2020 due to COVID-19, the Beaver County Humane Society was slammed again in February 2021. Last Monday morning, the manager of the shelter’s Thrift Store in Beaver Falls walked in to find a flood and scattered ceiling tiles brought down by a broken water pipe.
“We are unsure how long our Thrift Store will need to be closed,” executive director Susan Salyards said earlier this week. “It’s going to take a long time to clean up. This is our largest fundraiser. ... We also are an important business that many in our community depend on.”
And where was the shelter’s insurance adjuster?
“In Texas,” where frigid temperatures and widespread power outages burst water pipes and flooded thousands of homes and businesses. The insurance adjuster doesn’t plan to return from the Lone Star State until next week, he told Salyards.
Yet the Thrift Store found a way to reopen Thursday, ahead of expectations. The insurance company agreed that cleanup and repairs could proceed without the adjuster. Salyards took photos of the damage for the adjuster.
Like most businesses, the Thrift Store has suffered during the pandemic. In 2019, it brought in $300,000 to support the shelter in Center Township. Last year, due to a three-month state-ordered shutdown and other issues, the shop made just $150,000.
“Since we reopened in June, foot traffic and sales have been slower than normal,” Salyards said Thursday.
But the silver lining has been an increase in the quality and quantity of clothes, furniture, household goods, books, DVDs and other items that were donated. Salyards thinks many people used their time inside to declutter their houses.
“Boy, we get such nice things, everything from furniture and home decor to collectibles, jewelry and vintage and new clothing, some with the sales tags still attached.”
The store has received so many donations that it requires appointments to drop off items. Donors are scheduled to drive up to the entrance to drop off items instead of
entering the store. To make an appointment, call the shelter at 724846-0202.
This isn’t a small operation. Located for 15 years at 1900 Seventh Ave. in Beaver Falls (15010), the store is in a 10,000-square-foot building that used to be a hardware store. Most of the damage from the burst
pipe was confined to the back left corner. Books, tapes, albums and DVDs were damaged; furniture and clothing were spared.
The shop is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays, with social distancing and masks required. There is also an online eBay store. For more information, go to beaver county humane society.
The Beaver County Humane Society, which has been helping animals since 1950, depends on support from the public. On Feb. 19, when the shelter was running low on cat food and litter, a Facebook plea brought a big response.
“Between then and now we received over 300 boxes from Chewy and Amazon,” Salyards said. “The support of the community far and wide is overwhelming.”
Despite financial challenges in 2020, the shelter was “fully operational,” she said. Services such as the Veterans Kitchen pet food pantry program saw increased demand, and the shelter distributed 45 pallets of pet food and treats. The shelter has also continued to offer low-cost spay/ neuter and vaccination clinics.