Angels of Long Island opens free Mastic general store to help those in need
Angels of Long Island’s Mastic shop features a small boutique and grocery area. Credit: Angels of Long Island
At Angels of Long Island, “neighbors helping neighbors” is the motto. The thrift shop opened a new Mastic location with a free general store in November, joining the previously opened East Patchogue store. Both shops aim to provide clothing and home goods at bargain prices.
“We sell items ridiculously low, like beautiful designer clothes they can get,” says Debbie Loesch who runs the shop with daughter Brittany. “It started out of our house, out of our kitchen table to help one little girl,” says Loesch, about a neighbor of hers who needed support. “The need on Long Island is so severe that people got word that we were helping people and donations started coming to my house,” she notes. After two years of working out of their home, the mother/daughter team opened their first brick and mortar.
Both thrift shops carry men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and housewares, home goods, seasonal items and greeting cards for purchase. Proceeds and donations from the public, Long Island Cares, Island Harvest and thrift store sales help fill the free pantry at their general store in Mastic.
The general store has produce, meat, canned goods, dairy, cleaning and baby supplies and cold cuts. Salads and sandwiches are also donated by grocery stores. New clients must show photo ID and fill out a form with questions about their income, household size and other information to determine their level of need. Clients can shop at the store once a month and can fill up to five grocery bags each visit.
“Our stores have an outreach department. If there’s a house fire or domestic violence situation or something like that, they go through the outreach department and they shop in the stores for free,” says Loesch.
Angels of Long Island accepts donations of clothing, household items, nonperishable food items and cleaning supplies.
“We have two drive-thru donation centers, where people can just drop their goods off,” says Loesch. Drop-offs are accepted at both locations.
Prices range from free for those who meet the criteria to $3 for men's and women's clothing.
14 Herkimer St., Mastic, 631-803-6775, angelsoflongisland.com
