Saugus seniors want thrift store sales back

SAUGUS – Some local seniors are upset after the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Route 1 in Saugus stopped its weekly Senior Dollar Day sale.Saugus resident Fae Saulenas, 62, said she?s a “big Salvation Army supporter” who both shops there and donates items, which she has been doing for more than two decades.Without dollar day, Saulenas said seniors are seeing their money-saving options dwindle, especially with rate hikes from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.?If you?re living on an excruciatingly small budget and all your other costs keep going up, dollar day is very important,” said Saulenas,who cares for her handicapped daughter. “It?s like the difference with The RIDE now going to $4 one way ? If they have five doctor?s appointments in a week that?s $40 a week. It?s emblematic of a systemic issue, where the poor seem to be disproportionally asked to accommodate these huge offsets. I think the elderly right now ? it is extremely tough for them.”Saulenas said she thinks the Salvation Army has an “obligation to the community,” because of its tax-exempt status.?They don?t call God when they have a fire ?” said Saulenus. “They?re using my municipal services. I?m paying the property tax that funds the levy as are all the other old people in this town ? and they get all their donations for free. They?re saying they can?t afford a dollar day for seniors. That?s too bad.”Salvation Army spokesperson Tim Raines said dollar day was a pilot program that was discontinued in favor of other pricing policies that would be “more consistent across all our stores.”?Senior Dollar Day was a sale which the Saugus office recently discovered was not in line with Salvation Army policies in the Eastern Territory,” said Raines. “It may be re-evaluated and retried again in the future as we constantly assess methods to provide value to families in the community, while generating revenue to support our rehabilitation program in Saugus ?”Raines said he believes prices at Salvation Army stores are already “extremely competitive,” and noted that dollar day was not “nearly as popular” as other sales such as Family Day and the daily colored ticket markdowns.?We did have some seniors who availed themselves of the sale,” said Raines. “We?ve heard some disappointment from a few seniors, but we trust them to understand the importance of supporting our programs, and when they are informed of our other sales and other avenues for assistance, the vast majority agrees the change is best for everyone.”Priscilla Wall, 63, also frequents the Salvation Army on Route 1 and said she?s been shopping there since her kids were little. She noted “it just doesn?t seem right” for the dollar day sale to end.?They?re running a non-profit, Christian service-type program,” said Wall. “That?s their whole foundation is to provide opportunities for people to work and advantages to buy things. I don?t see where it?s costing them to run dollar day periodically. I don?t think it?s fair to the people who are on a fixed income.”Even though Wall acknowledged she has found a lot of “really nice things” in good condition at that location, she said she?ll probably “look for better deals” at other thrift stores.?They sort of think they?re like a boutique Salvation Army,” said Wall. “I?ve been to other ones where the prices are a little lower. It?s pure profit for them. It?s all donated. If you?re providing a service as a non-profit organization you should give people an advantage now and then. It just seems really unfair and I think they?re taking advantage.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].