Tri-Valley Haven to Reopen Refurbished Thrift Shop

Tri-Valley Haven will be celebrating the re-opening of its recently refurbished thrift 
shop from 10am to 5pm Saturday, Aug. 2 with door prizes, activities for children and refreshments – all in addition to great bargains on gently used clothing, household furnishings and many other items.

Formerly known as the Buenas Vidas Thrift Store, the well-established Downtown 
Livermore business at the corner of Railroad Avenue and L Street has been renamed the Tri-Valley Haven Thrift Store -- and now, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, it boasts a remodeled interior, new flooring, and fresh paint.
Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch managed the store to support its programs for at-risk boys for many years, but when the Ranch ceased operations in early 2013, the store business was handed over to Tri-Valley Haven (TVH), with which Buenas Vidas had partnered for several decades. TVH agreed to continue operations under the Buenas Vidas name for a year after the official June 1, 2013 transfer.

Proceeds from the business now benefit the work of TVH, a safety-net organization 
that runs a very busy food pantry; a family violence shelter (Shiloh); a homeless family shelter (Sojourner House); the Tri-Valley’s only Rape Crisis Center, which includes prevention and education; a parenting support program (Parents Creating Change); counseling, and assistance with restraining orders. Ann King, Executive Director of TVH, noted that government funds don’t come close to keeping all these programs operating.

Since TVH cannot operate all its programs on government funds alone, it needs to 
generate revenue with the thrift store as well as seek monetary donations.

“For instance, in recent years the City of Livermore has provided only $5000 annually to support Sojourner House, our homeless family shelter,” King stated. “This year the City provided $10,000, which is better, though the shelter actually costs over $300,000 per year to operate.” 

“We would like to introduce the community to the new management at the store, share our terrific facelift, and invite new shoppers to check us out,” King said. “Since Tri-Valley Haven took over, we have been blessed with very skilled volunteers from Asbury Methodist Church who helped to renovate the interior and exterior of the thrift store. Flooring has been replaced, walls have been removed and/or painted, areas have been re-wired, and the exterior has been painted and freshly landscaped. The volunteers even built a new storage shed because the old one was falling apart."

“Super Volunteer Steve Elliott and his crew have worked on Habitat for Humanity 
homes, so who better to take on our store? When I first showed Steve the store and described the vision we had for it, I was afraid he would turn around and run! To my eternal gratitude, he was ready to go ahead with the project,” King said. “Asbury Methodist Church has been a formidable force for good in the community, and this was clear with Steve’s response. Without the substantial talents and sweat equity of this crew, none of this would have been possible. Simply put, they are amazing!”

—Information submitted by Tri-Valley Haven