Back Porch Thrift Store To Close In Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON, VA — Back Porch Thrift Store, a store run by the nonprofit United Community, will close on Oct. 31 in Mount Vernon.

Effective immediately, the store is no longer taking donations. Discount sales will be held until the closing. From Sept. 16 to Sept. 30, items are 60 percent off. From Oct. 1 to 15, items are 75 percent off, and from Oct. 16 to 31, discounts will increase to 90 percent. Customers can also fill a bag of clothing for $20, or bring a box and fill it up with books for $5.

Back Porch Thrift Store opened as a resource for low-income families to get affordable clothing and home goods. Since then, other thrift stores have popped up on Richmond Highway, "dramatically increasing the accessibility of low-cost items for needy families," says United Community. The store has seen declining sales and customers over five years as other stores opened.

"Our focus at United Community is to create a network of resources, services, and partnerships to help our community thrive," said Alison DeCourcey, executive director of United Community, in a statement. "Closing the Back Porch will allow us to concentrate on direct services that community members have counted on us to provide, such as the food pantry, utility and rent support, affordable childcare, ESL and citizenship classes, job readiness, case management and more."

United Community plans on forming a partnership with a local thrift store operator to allow its low-income clients to use vouchers for items.

The store's hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit the Back Porch Thrift Store's webpage.