‘Good Start Industries’ Closing
More than a store, Good Start Industries has touched the lives of those in Las Cruces for more than four decades, and made an impression on the community that will last long after doors close forever.
?A dollar apiece, you can?t beat that,? a customer said while looking through racks of blouses Wednesday.
A dollar each sounds hard to believe, but for the past 42 years, it wasn?t. Good Start sold second-hand, donated items at extreme discounted prices, and employed people with disabilities as well as those out on probation.
?I?ve enjoyed every single minute of it,? Executive Director Karen Jakeway said.
Jakeway said she never imagined having to close down the only place she ever worked.
“I can honestly say I looked forward to getting up and coming to work everyday,? Jakeway said. ?There was never a day I missed coming to work.”
With endless aisles of clothes, it is hard to imagine the building empty. But Jakeway said people just are not donating like they once did.
“We were just fighting to stay open,? Jakeway said. ?People hold onto big ticket items, they don’t donate furniture as much as they did before.?
It is not just the items for sale that will be missed, rather, it is the irreplaceable impact Jakeway?s store has made on their lives, customers said.
“It’s made a big difference in mine because I’m living on social security and I can’t afford the prices at the mall, so I buy all my clothes here,” a frequent customer who has shopped at Good Start for the past six years said.
Jakeway said she frequently gave homeless customers who stopped by, gift certificates so they too would have clothes they would otherwise have to go without.
Knowing that she dedicated her life to helping others gives her peace of mind during this difficult time, Jakeway said.
“I had a lady come in, and with tears in her eyes, she said, ‘Karen, I just felt like I had to come in and tell you thank you,?? Jakeway said. ?It just means my whole lifetime occupation has been of value. It’s not been easy, but it’s, it’s been a blessing.”
The final day for business is January 29th.
