PHOTOS: Stonington COMO Thrift Shop Shows Off Renovations

There was a ribbon cutting, some speeches and a lot of food at the last night.

It was a celebration of the of the thrift shop, and that celebration continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the .

Reopening, however, isn’t really the right word, because the thrift shop managed to complete the expansion and renovations without closing.

“Everybody was very supportive,” said COMO Executive Director Jim Truscio.

The COMO opened up a in the spring and moved pottery that was in the thrift shop to the . That combined with the purchase of a storage container for long-term storage, freed up space in the thrift shop. The additional space allowed for the thrift store to expand creating new dressing rooms additional retail space and also reorganizing the intake of donations.

Not a bad way to create much needed space for a shop in the same building since the 1970s. Founded by Helen Gildersleeve in 1940 as a way to send clothes and money to people in England during World War II the COMO Thrift Shop first made its home on Water Street in Stonington Borough. After the war the shop remained open for the community and had several homes on Water Street before making its way to its present day location at 45 Cutler St.

Today sales from the Stonington COMO Thrift Shop go towards the funding of COMO activities.

So swing by the COMO Thrift Shop, take a look at the new space and do some . Maybe you will even win one of the raffles taking place throughout the day.