Park Avenue thrift reaches $3 million milestone in giving, announces 2021 recipients

Kelci McKendrick, Enid News & Eagle, Okla.
·4 min read

May 9—Park Avenue Thrift has surpassed $3 million in total money given back to Enid organizations since it opened nearly 15 years ago.

The nonprofit organization and downtown Enid thrift store is awarding a total of $203,305.67 to 24 different organizations and had already given out $40,000 by the end of April, said Stela Jantzen, executive director of Park Avenue Thrift.

That amount will push Park Avenue over the edge of the $3 million in donations it's given since opening in 2007.

Jantzen, who became director in 2019, said Park Avenue was just at the cusp of $3 million before this year, so after she began issuing some of the checks to this year's recipients, they hit the mark.

She said it couldn't have been done without the help of shoppers, donors and everyone who helps promote the store.

The store had hit $1 million in 2013, then $2 million in 2016, Jantzen said.

"I'm super proud that we have hit $3 million," she said, "and not only are we hitting $3 million — we're gonna hit $3.2 (million)."

The 2021 recipients are 4RKids, Atelier, Bennie's Barn, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Cimarron Council Inc. Boy Scouts of America, Compassionate Quilters, Emerson Middle School, Enid SPCA, Enid Symphony Association, Fling at the Springs, FLY Film Festival, Gaslight Theatre, Junior Welfare League, Kinder Konnection, Leonardo's Children's Museum, Loaves and Fishes, Main Street Enid, Monroe Elementary, OHAI, Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, RSVP of Enid, Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park, Youth and Family Services, and YWCA of Enid.

"A lot of these organizations, the money that we give for their projects lets them bring something like a new dynamic to their organization," Jantzen said. "It also makes Enid a better place to live."

As examples, the grant money from Park Avenue Thrift will help Bennie's Barn build a new barn for its therapy horses, help restore the "Wanda Lee" dining car at the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma and help Gaslight Theatre with its renovations, Jantzen said.

In the past couple of years, Jantzen said the recipients have been closer to around 13 organizations, so having 24 this year will be the most Park Avenue Thrift has given to all at once.

"We're happy that we're able to give to several people — that more of the community gets to benefit from this," she said.

In addition, Park Avenue has sponsored several organizations so far this year, including Enid Public Schools STEAM Challenge, YWCA of Enid, SPCA Enid, Enid Writer's Club and Hedges Speech and Hearing.

The nonprofit is also set to give $10,000 toward Enid and Chisholm public schools projects through DonorsChoose, Jantzen said.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down Park Avenue Thrift, but it still accepted donations for the store, which currently employs 28 people, and Jantzen said she and other staff were thankful for those donations.

"We don't do any fundraising — we do stuff-raising," she said. "We just ask for people's donations, and that's what we use to give out to the community."

After it reopened in May last year, Park Avenue Thrift had its "best month in history," and since then, it has been surpassed three times.

Park Avenue Thrift was founded by Paula Nightengale and David Hume, who built a "good foundation" for the thrift store, Jantzen said.

Andrew Long, president of Park Avenue Thrift's board of directors, said in a press release that Park Avenue Thrift began with a "distinct and unique vision" of running a top-notch thrift store and using the profits to improve Enid.

Long said everyone in Enid is involved with something that Park Avenue funds.

"From big projects and organizations like Leonardo's (Children's Museum) and 'Under Her Wing Was the Universe,' to classroom projects and public art, Park Avenue Thrift is Enid," Long said in the release. "We couldn't do it without the generous support and donations of our community."

Kelci McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to kelcim@enidnews.com.