After 25 years of calling downtown Belgrade home, Sacks Thrift Store officially closed its doors Wednesday — for good.
Volunteers at the store say due to financial difficulties, the Help Center board opted to end operations of the non-profit.
The store’s last day was a free day.
Everything in the store, down to the clothes hangers and some of the shelves were up for grabs.
Volunteers say it was an unexpected turn that, after more than two decades, hurts.
To them, they say the community felt like their family.
“I had so much fun working with these ladies,” says Patty Steiner, one of several volunteers at Sacks. “They were always laughing. Nobody was crying or whining or everybody was helping. If somebody was sick, they were helping. If something happened in their family, they were helping. It was just…it’s the Help Center. Literally, we were helping each other.”
The Sacks in Bozeman is still open.
Some of the volunteers say they may work there for a while — while others say they hope to start a non-profit of their own.
