A 19,955-square-foot Jubilee Ministries store is coming to Jackson Township

A new 19,955-square-foot Jubilee Ministries store is coming to the southwest corner of Dutch-Way Farm Market in Jackson Township, an increase of more than 16,000 square feet from the current store.

Ryan Newswanger, CEO of Jubilee Ministries, said volunteers were running into issues with space. A larger store, he said, will help improve donation drop-offs and will lead to a broader selection for customers.

Read More: Ryan Newswanger, CEO of Jubilee Ministries [We Are Lebanon, Pa]

“We’ve been in Myerstown for a long time now, and it’s our smallest store, and an opportunity came up for a potential for a new one and a much, much larger one, and so we’re going to be pursuing that,” he said. “It should be a lot bigger for the shoppers, a lot more selection that should be in the store, and a much better drop-off area for donations, and even a bigger space for our volunteers to help us out. We’re looking forward to it.”

Jubilee Ministries will rent the space from the owner, Martin Family Realty Partnership LP. Construction crews broke ground toward the end of August, and Newswanger said they believe work will be completed next spring.

Floor plans show a large retail area, restrooms, an office, a volunteer area and break room, and a stock room. There will be a loading dock outside for drop-offs.

The existing Myerstown store doesn’t currently sell furniture, but Newswanger said the larger building will allow them to expand into offering larger furniture items, as other Jubilee Ministries stores do.

“We’ve been supported by the Myerstown community for many, many years, and we’ve been very, very blessed by the community, and so we think it will just provide a better overall thrift store for the area,” Newswanger said. “More selection, better drop-off area, more items — I think it’s just better all the way around.”

Thrift stores rely on community members to continue running. People donate their unwanted items to stock the shelves, and others can come in to buy donated goods at lower-than-retail prices.

Beyond being more environmentally friendly, Newswanger said thrift stores are a way for people to support ministries beyond donating money directly.

According to its website, Jubilee Ministries helps place chaplains in correctional facilities, gives summer camp scholarships to children impacted by incarceration, and offers an aftercare program to help people readjust to the outside world after being released from prison.

“For us in particular, it provides funding for us to build our mission, and someone can donate clothing, and that clothing gets turned into finances, which then can, in turn, send a chaplain into a prison where someone can bring the gospel to someone inside a prison,” he said. “It’s a cool, amazing connection that you can donate clothing, and out of that, missionary work in the prison is happening. That’s some of the beauty of it that we see.”

Read More: Faith guides Myerstown teen’s donations to Lebanon-area charitable organizations