Second Hand Heros, a nonprofit organization, will soon reopen at its previous location at 113 Mississippi Ave. in Crystal City.
The organization collects new and gently used clothing, cookware, bedding, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula, baby food and more to distribute for free to those in need. The second hand shop is staffed entirely by volunteers.
Valerie Lee, who runs the group, said it closed the Mississippi Avenue location at the end of May. The landlord, who had been giving the group a large discount on the space, charging $325 per month, said he needed to relocate his office into the space and asked the group to move out.
Lee said she eventually found a space at 318 Bailey Road in Crystal City and moved into that location, but the stay there was short-lived. She said other business people in the area expressed concerns about the clientele served by the organization, which helps anyone in need, regardless of income or residence, including the unhoused and those without transportation who arrive on foot or bicycles.
Lee said Second Hand Heros had not officially opened before the trouble began.
“We did a soft opening to get the feel of things, which ended up having more people than we thought. Other businesses were not happy with us. It was taking up too much parking. There was a group of homeless people whose bikes were blocking the sidewalk, and they (other tenants) weren’t happy about that. They were losing business because of it.”
Lee said the landlord warned her when signing her lease that if the organization caused problems they would be asked to leave. After Second Hand Heros’ soft opening, Lee said the new landlord told her she needed to immediately close up shop and find a new location.
“Apparently, there were too many issues. But being automatically closed was a shock,” she said. “We weren’t able to give notice to anybody or anything.”
Lee said when her old landlord found out she had to find yet another location, he reached out and offered help.
“He knew about us having to find a place again and said that he decided not to put his offices into my old shop and wanted to offer it back to me before renting out to someone else,” she said.
Lee said she hopes to move out of the Bailey location and back into the Mississippi location before the end of July so she can avoid paying rent at both locations.
While she is relieved to have a place for Second Hand Heros, having to move did not come without a cost, she said.
“You’ve got the extra cost of water deposit, gas, sewer deposit, paying for the inspection, business card changes, just all that stuff that adds up, especially for me to only be here for two weeks.”
Luckily, Lee said, anonymous donors have stepped up to help Second Hand Heros cover those costs.
She said she also is seeking monetary donations to help keep Second Hand Heros up and running, but she also needs volunteer labor, not only to help with the move, but also for day-to-day operations.
Lee said she needs volunteers who can help from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday or on evenings or weekends. She said volunteers must be dependable, friendly, positive, welcoming, nonjudgmental and have a fun spirit.
While Second Hand Heros will be in a familiar place again, Lee did say she has to make one change to help cover increased costs. She said a minimum donation of $1 per person is required to receive free items, although donations are not required for children. Cash, card and Venmo are accepted forms of payment.
Lee said she hated to make the change, but it was the only way she could afford to keep her doors open.
“Please keep in mind how hard we work and the long hours and days that we put in, all for free to help those who need us the most,” she said.
Lee said she will have a “Pay It Forward” whiteboard up for those who want to cover the donations for others.
She stressed that there will be no after-hours drop-offs for donations
Lee said she is grateful for the community’s support during the recent changes.
“Thank you for everybody’s understanding, patience and support. We’ve had really great community support and understanding.”
To donate to or volunteer at Second Hand Heros, or to become a sponsor, reach out to Lee at 636-209-7372 or email her at valerie2hh@gmail.com.