The Gospel Echos Thrift Store opened it's roughly 5,000 square foot expansion to the public Friday afternoon.

"We have basically 2,500 square feet that is staff area and then another 2,500 square feet and that will be store area. That will be our furniture and hardware area," said store manager David Martens.

In the store's previous location, they had a total of 5,000 square feet and when they were in two buildings, across the parking lot from each other, they had a total of 10,000 square feet. Martens said having everything under one roof is very helpful as they don't have to haul everything back and forth.

"It's excellent. Most of our volunteers are elderly. Hauling stuff back and forth is not not great," said Martens. "The idea behind having two stores was always a temporary plan, but it was still a year before we got in here."

The store has roughly fifty volunteers comprised of mostly seniors from the community, people on disability, who get a bonus on their disability cheques if they volunteer their time at the store, and even individuals doing community service at the store.

Money raised at at the local Gospel Echos Thrift Store helps with its national prison ministry. The organization sends groups of people into prisons and share the word of Jesus through songs and preaching, and by holding Bible studies.