Budget Shop tops two decades of community service

Nestled beside the Sundance Senior Center, the Budget Shop has now been a fixture of the community for over two decades, raising money for its next-door neighbor through the sale of donated items.

Of the volunteers who offer their time to its service, one has been there since before the doors even opened.

Barbara Janssen was among the group that spotted an opportunity and brought it to the Sundance Senior Citizens board. The Budget Store building had previously housed a budget shop by the name of the Green Thumb, but it was run by a paid employee rather than volunteers.

However, the person running the store ceased operations and, after that, "There was just nothing there for about a year, it was totally closed." The group saw an opportunity to reopen it as a fundraising arm for the Senior Center.

"Several of us got together and approached the board and said, what do you think if we volunteer, and they said, sure," she says.

The team had to start from scratch, gathering donations to stock the store.

"It took a little while to get things going and then to open up, and we've been doing it ever since," she says.

Opening day was December 1, 2003.

"I remember that day. It was cold and windy and snowy and I remember opening up the door and thinking, I don't know what we're doing," she laughs. "But it turned out fine."

All money made by the Budget Shop goes straight to the Sundance Senior Center and is used for expenses such as utilities. Though it varies throughout the year, Jannsen estimates that the store makes an average of $1000 each month.

The Budget Shop is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.