Hearts for the Homeless to open a third thrift store

WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Whenever you go thrift shopping, you never know what type of treasures you might find.

If you shop at the Hearts for the Homeless thrift stores, you’re also finding a way to support their outreach programs that help support thousands of our neighbors every year. Their mobile soup kitchen and food pantry operations have helped neighbors in Western New York for 35 years.

Thrift store locations include Buffalo and Tonawanda. Their third thrift store will have it’s grand opening at 9 a.m. on March 1 at 3531 Seneca Street in West Seneca.

“We’re really trying to use the stores as a way to tell the story and share our mission and folks can be able to get involved through donating, and then through shopping as well,” said President & CEO of Hearts for the Homeless Nicholas Calandra. “It is truly a treasure hunt.”

To help Hearts for the Homeless’s mission, you can drop off donations at one of their 500 red collection bins that are located throughout Western New York. These donations are sorted and then sold in their thrift stores, where 100% of the proceeds go towards their mission for helping people.

From household items, to Bills gear, they have more than 50,000 treasures ready to be sold and make a difference.

Calandra says back in 2019, their outreach programs helped around 14,000 people, last year, they helped more than 81,000.

“The pandemic really accelerated some of the need in the community and maybe pulled back the curtain where folks that are on the margins are finding themselves more in need,” said Calandra. “Everything that’s going up in price on a regular basis stretches people even further, and we’re seeing the greatest increase in need through our food pantries.”

For more information on the Hearts for the Homeless, visit their website here.

Latest Local News

Tonawanda police officer accused of mishandling drug evidence

Record-setting Kyla Hayes raises championship standard at O’Hara

Watch News 4’s Black History Month special

Local church to hold remembrance for Sam Nordquist

Town of Tonawanda releases findings on alleged police strike

Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.