For over a decade I managed a very successful resale store in LA for a charity. So I have a special place in my heart for real, charity-run thrift stores. (Goodwill is a pseudo-charity with a very wealthy CEO. The last thing I want to do is make wealthy, corporate CEO richer).

Ok so a little background on the way Salvation Army works. Some have said sarcastically that the Salvation Army uses slave labor. What they are trying to say is that the Salvation Army relies on volunteer help from people who are grateful for the program that helped them get clean. In general, some of their staff live at Salvation Army facilities/properties. Why do I bring that up? Well sometimes you get people who slip through that are not terribly grateful or happy with their job at the Salvation Army thrift store. I saw such a guy today running their donation receiving area behind the store. This unhappy guy may have had a rough day. Who knows. I would suggest maybe finding a more non-public position for him.

As far as the store goes in general.. it looks like it's a clothing oriented store. So if you are looking for a large or diverse assortment of art, household/kitchen items, home decor, furniture, media, etc this is the wrong store for you. Their household items looked very used and the customers seem to feel free to open closed boxes. It is a society problem. Not the Sally's fault.

If you are local and need a shirt, old lamp, and a cereal bowl.. you would do well by starting here. If you are a weekend thrifting group of 20-30 year olds looking for treasures, I'd say the treasures are elsewhere.

In closing, I say support real charities like the Salvation Army, and give your donations to real charities like the Salvation Army. Don't forget that their staff is in various stages of recovery. In some cases this might be there first job. So keep that in mind and realize that it is a therapeutic working environment. If a staff member is ever rude or publicly unhappy or shouldn't be around the public, tell a manager. Don't name shame the employee or give the store a low rating. I gave the store a four star rating. They're not perfect and they're doing their best with what they have. I love the Salvation Army and I hope you do too, so stop giving to Goodwill.