Duo keeps on giving with new thrift store

BANGOR – A mother’s caring heart spurred two Arizona men to give back to their adopted community in Maine.

Sergio Ramos arrived in the Bangor area nearly two years ago with his longtime friend Blake Manz. The duo joined with lifelong Glenburn resident Alma Johnson to form Ofelia’s Food Cupboard & Thrift Store in Glenburn, named after Ramos’ mother.

The facility now is known as Ofelia’s Community Resource Center.

“His mother was not the most well-off person in the world, but she helped everyone she met,” said Johnson. “She passed away in 1999.”

Now Ofelia’s has branched out to open a thrift store in Bangor at the former Skip’s Yankee Grocery on Union Street.

The proceeds from the shop will be used to fund a warehouse the organization operates at the same location in partnership with several other food pantries.

Ofelia’s Thrift Shop at 1372 Union St. opened its door for the first time Thursday. The shop will be open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“Everything in there is donated,” said Johnson. “You would not believe what people have donated. We have clothing, appliances, furniture and a great book department.”

Operating Ofelia’s is truly a labor of love, said Manz.

“The important thing about the store that makes it different than others is it’s totally volunteers,” he said. “I don’t get paid, and Sergio Ramos does not get paid.”

The need for a warehouse to store goods was apparent to many of the people running area pantries, Manz said. He said the need is especially apparent when the U.S. Department of Agriculture holds its quarterly food distribution.

“We were delivered 56,000 pounds of food,” last week said Manz. “It was two truckloads.”

The food, which includes items such as juice, prunes, walnuts, trail mix, spaghetti sauce, cheese and canned items, was dropped off at the warehouse in Bangor and within hours was separated and transferred to 28 pantries.

“It’s been talked about for years that we needed a common warehouse,” Manz said. “There is now a place here that stuff can be brought.”

Penquis CAP’s food assistance program, Manna Ministries, Crossroads Ministries, Spruce Run, Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Newburgh Full Gospel Church food pantry and Eastern Maine AIDS Network are just a few of the 28 partners who will be using the warehouse.

Ramos is Ofelia’s director and Manz, who is a disabled veteran of the Gulf War, is the program administrator. Johnson manages Ofelia’s Glenburn location.

“We started with the food cupboard, which is still in operation with about 2,500 clients showing up on a weekly basis and it’s grown,” said Manz.

Ofelia’s Community Resource Center is located just over the Glenburn line at 831 Pushaw Road and will celebrate its second anniversary in January. Food “pass-out” days in Glenburn are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. New hours go into effect Nov. 1, and after that date the pantry will be open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Fridays only.

A grand opening for the new Union Street thrift shop will be held sometime in the next two weeks. Anyone who wants to find out more or those who wants to donate items to Ofelia’s can call 947-9526.