The Immanuel Christian School (ICS) Thrift Store will celebrate the grand opening of the store’s expansion on Friday, July 10. The public and media are invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 AM. outside the main ICS Thrift Store entrance on Locust and 11th. The day’s festivities include a 30% off sale for the entire store and prizes will be given throughout the day.

For over 20 years the ICS Thrift Store had shared its space with the students of Immanuel Christian School. Last fall the K-12 school moved to its newly remodeled downtown location, and the ICS Thrift Store was presented with the opportunity to expand. The store now occupies the entirety of the first floor of the former Immanuel Christian School / Locust Street school building. The store temporarily closed this past Spring due to COVID-19 and reopened on May 29th. Since the reopening, the store has had great community support in abiding by the store’s social distancing guidelines. Donations have been pouring in and the store reached a record month of sales — the highest since its inception 23 years ago.

The larger space for the thrift store means more offerings for the community and a greater opportunity to support local students. The store offers weekly specials including a 10% off senior and military discount on Thursdays. Net proceeds from the ICS Thrift Store support the scholarship fund for students who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend Immanuel Christian School. Over ninety percent of the school’s students receive need-based tuition scholarships thanks to the generosity of donors and the proceeds from the Thrift Store. This helps the school carry out its mission of making their grace-filled, quality academic, and Christian education financially accessible to students in the greater Hazleton area.

The ICS Thrift Store’s summer hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM-5 PM. Acceptable items for donations can be found at https://www.icshazleton.org/ics-thrift-store. More information on the ICS Thrift Store and promotional sales is available on its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ICSThriftStore) and Instagram page (@ICSThrift).