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Value Village will raise money for Victory Village veterans' center in Oroville By MARY WESTON - Staff Writer Posted: 07/04/2012 12:35:04 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge Eric Almquist, chief executive officer of the Oroville Economic and Community Development... · · » OROVILLE -- A new discount grocery store that will open this month on Oro Dam Boulevard West will benefit a veterans' housing and services project. Eric Almquist and Michael Anderson started Victory Village two years ago to help homeless veterans and veterans returning from the Middle East wars who might need a little help re-entering society. Almquist, chief executive officer of the Oroville Economic and Community Development Corporation, and Anderson, executive director of Northern California Treatment Services, teamed up on the project. The concept is similar to a Victory Village in San Diego, which offers housing and services tailored to the needs of veterans. Originally, the local organizers planned to open in October of 2010, after they had remodeled the building to accommodate 24 beds for veterans, as well as a community room, kitchen and restrooms. However, the project hit a snag when Butte County told them the property needed a $40,000 upgrade on the sewer system for veterans living on the site. While the project slowed, they focused on raising money to upgrade the sewer system. "We started looking for ideas to raise money, and Eric came up with this," Anderson said. Value Village will have a grand opening July 16-20 with free hot dogs, popcorn, taffy and 15-cent sodas. When in operation, the store will sell discount packaged and canned grocery items, milk, eggs, ice cream, cleaning supplies, paper goods, toys, cosmetics and whatever comes Advertisement down the pike from wholesalers. They will also sell used furniture and home decoration items. Anderson said they will start with these items and maybe branch out in the future. "We're too far into this (Victory Village) to give up," Anderson said. "We're going to keep going." "If we run into a hurdle, we will jump over it," Almquist said. Almquist had thought the project would go faster, but he said it also took many years to get the Victory Village in San Diego. "So I am happy that we have come this far in two years," he said. "All the proceeds go for the veterans program," Almquist said. "We expect the store to earn enough to soon pay for the sewer hook-up fees." If all goes well, the store might generate enough profit to build a new building for the first phase of the project, Almquist said, which is the 24-bed facility with a community room, a kitchen and rest rooms. The project benefits not only Victory Village, but people in the drug and alcohol treatment programs who will work at the store, Almquist said. They have eight veterans in the program at this time. Veterans will get a a 5 percent discount at the store. The store will also benefit people on the west side of town who can shop near their homes and save money. "It's a win-win for everybody at every level," Almquist said. Although they haven't finished the project, they have had some successes such as a veteran Pete Bohnhoff who came to the treatment program addicted to alcohol and drugs and is now finishing a degree at Columbia University, Almquist said. Staff writer Mary Weston can be reached at 533-4415 or mweston@orovillemr.com. Print Email Font Resize Return to Top |
