KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
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After a seven-year search, Blessings Abound thrift store has found the perfect location for its third store in Martin City.
Along U.S. Route 150 near 135th Street in Martin City is the location of the mostly empty and available State Line Point Shopping Center, at 13637 Washington Street.
"Blessings Abound is the best kept secret in Kansas City, hopefully the secret will get out," CEO of Blessings Abound Mike Thomas said.
The expansion marks a significant step for the organization, bringing its unique model to a new area.
The multi-million dollar renovation effort will transform the vacant space into a vibrant hub for the community.
"We're ready to serve and grow with South Kansas City," Thomas said.
The new Blessings Abound location will offer a wide array of items, including "furniture, houseware, décor art," according to Thomas.
Beyond the typical thrift store offerings of clothing, the organization operates with a distinct mission.
"Our model is really to be a financial engine for social service organizations," Thomas said.
With a 17-year history, Blessings Abound has demonstrated a significant impact on the Kansas City community.
"We've donated more than $12 million in proceeds back to the KC community," Thomas revealed.
More than just a thrift store, Blessings Abound aims to be an integral part of the community, and they’re scaling up. Last year alone, they donated $2 million back to the KC area.
Blessings Abound contributes to the following organizations each month:
- Operation Breakthrough (education for kids in poverty)
- Metro Lutheran Ministry (emergency services)
- Pete’s Garden (food recovery)
- Flourish Furniture Bank (KC’s furniture bank)
- LUMA (emergency services, spiritual support)
- Hopebuilders (home repair, accessibility accommodations)
- Mission Southside (Olathe support)
Partners for the new store in Martin City include:
- Catholic Charities Kansas City St. Joseph
- House of Hope
Blessings Abound also has a "Blessings Fund" that provided grants to more than 30 local nonprofits in 2024.
Hope Builders Operations Director Greg Wayne is one of the recipients, able to serve 150+ people a year, specifically older adults or people with disabilities to make accessibility modifications and home repairs across the metro.
“We’ve been a proud recipient of the funding for seven years. It was instrumental in our growth for actually being able to serve more people through the years,” Wayne said.
With their hearts on their sleeve, Blessings Abound is no longer a secret but a continued source of hope for KC.
“We’re proud of it. We're excited about it, but we are looking to really grow to have more impact in the community,” Thomas said. “We want our pricing to be very fair. We try to set our pricing at or below what other thrift stores are doing. We want to feel like a place where people can come here and get great value for what they are purchasing.
Volunteers are encouraged to come out Saturday morning.
Blessings Abound upcoming dates:
- Saturday, March 8 - Open volunteering, 9 a.m. - Noon
- Monday, March 10 - Blessings Abound will begin to receive donations at the new store
- Sunday, March 16 - Blessings Abound is the title sponsor for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Martin City
- Saturday, April 26 - Store grand opening
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