A grand opening for the new non-transactional store was held on Thursday, June 28. The store is located on-site and will be accessible to all women who are in the process of receiving treatment at Santa Maria Hostel. This store was donated by Palais Royal in hopes of helping women undergoing treatment feel more confident and comfortable through the recovery process. Not only will this store provide necessities to the women of Santa Maria, but their children as well.

Santa Maria Hostel hopes this new store will be a safe place for these women – a place “where people are going to love them no matter where they’ve been because we know their past does not determine their future,” said Nadine Scamp, CEO of Santa Maria.

Bill Gentner, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Stage Stores also attended the ribbon cutting. “We know that it is so important to not just be in our communities but to be a part of them and give back [which is why] we have our Community Counts deal… It is such an important deal for us to make people’s lives better,” said Gentner.

The clothes at the store are free of charge and the store will be designed in a way that when someone first comes to Santa Maria, they will have the opportunity to shop. Then throughout their recovery, they will continue to work with their counselor or coach and come back to shop as needed.

Santa Maria welcomes donations of new or gently used women’s and children’s clothing to keep the store fully equipped and functional.