ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A new business in Escanaba is providing hope to those in need.
A few years ago, Jacie Williams was living downstate. She started what would become The H.O.P.E. Project Free Store with just one box of non-perishable food and personal care products in her front yard.
“When I was growing up, we were poor, and a lot of people I knew were poor,” Williams said. “I knew there were a lot of people like that. It was just two-by-four and people could come and go as they wanted. Then, we had a drunk driver hit our house. It took out the ‘Hope Box’ as we called it and our whole front porch and put a hole in our wall.”
One year later, it made a return.
“We put up a little barn and we made it like a store,” said Williams. “Because I was shy, we didn’t really stay out there. We would stock it at night and it was the same thing, people could come and go as they wanted and everything was free.”
When Williams and her family decided to move to Escanaba, she knew she wanted to open a storefront for The H.O.P.E. Project. On Monday, December 11, the store opened for business at 2301 9th Avenue North.
Everything available in the store has been donated by the community. For $1, customers take the items they need free of charge, including food, clothing, toys, and home decor.
“I hate places that take donations and sell them for new prices,” said Williams. “I think if something’s donated, it should be given. We’re trying to help as many people as we can. There’s a lot of stuff here for everybody I think.”
There are limits on the number of certain items that can be taken per customer per day. The limits are posted at the front desk. There is also a “Take a Ticket, Leave a Ticket” bin at the desk where customers can purchase an extra ticket for someone who cannot afford the $1 entry fee.
The H.O.P.E. Project Free Store is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and every other Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The store will also be closed on days schools are closed, and the business will be on break for the holidays from December 22 to January 3.
To make a donation, visit The H.O.P.E. Project Free Store during business hours or email thehopeprojectesky@gmail.com. For more information, visit The H.O.P.E. Project’s Facebook page.
