Leelanau Christian Neighbors (LCN) announced Thursday the expansion of its retail operations with a second Samaritans’ Closet thrift store slated to open in Empire.
According to a LCN press release, the new store, located at 11840 S Lacore Road in the Sleeping Bear Plaza, aims to better serve the residents and visitors of the west side of Leelanau County and will provide easier access to affordable goods and a convenient local donation center. With the renovation process of the space currently underway and the lease signed, the organization is expecting to begin accepting community donations by mid-May. In addition, LCN has already hired a manager for the Empire location who has been training at the Lake Leelanau flagship store.
LCN aims to host a grand opening and to be fully operational by Memorial Day weekend, just in time for the start of summer.
Mary Stanton, LCN executive director, said the satellite store will not only make their services a little bit more accessible for those on the west side of the county, but will ultimately serve as a good way to become a part of the Empire community. The Empire store will function “as a vital social enterprise,” with all proceeds from the store going directly towards supporting LCN’s essential services including its food pantries and financial assistance programs.
“We have a lot of people who shop at Samaritans’ in Lake Leelanau from that area, so it just seemed like the right move for us,” Stanton said. “We found this space in Empire, and we’ve been working with the owner, Ralph, and he’s just been a delight, he’s been so welcoming to us… and the other people that are in the strip mall with us are the same way, like absolutely we want you here, so it just feels right. Everyone is just so fabulous.”
Read the full story in next week’s Enterprise edition.
