Grand Avenue thrift shop owner no longer facing eviction thanks to community support

Edward Blackwell moved into his thrift store — which is slightly larger than a walk-in closet — on Feb. 4. He said he fell on hard times and couldn’t afford rent at his apartment and the business, and his business landlord said he could live at his store, the Giving Vine Thrift Store inside Desert Sun Plaza on Grand Avenue and 15th Avenue.

© Chloe Jones/Arizona Republic
Edward Blackwell works at his cash register inside his business, The Giving Vine Thrift Store, on Dec. 12 2020 in downtown Phoenix.

Then COVID-19 hit. 

Sales slowed down, and even though Blackwell was able to stay afloat with a small business loan and selling his merchandise through Facebook with contactless delivery, he fell behind on his rent. 

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Each night, Blackwell sleeps on a folding mattress in the space that is about 6 feet long and 2 feet wide, between his cashier desk and a TV stand. On his right is a wall full of shoes and knick knacks, on his left are racks packed full of unique and vintage clothing. 

As a business owner renting a commercial space, he was no longer protected — Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order suspending commercial evictions expired May 31. 

As a resident, he said he didn’t qualify for housing assistance and wasn’t protected under the eviction moratorium because he was living in a place with a commercial rental license. Arizona renters hurt by COVID-19 and struggling to pay rent don’t have to worry about losing their residential homes until 2021 because of a federal action delaying most evictions.

If his eviction went through on Dec. 17, he would have not only lost his business, but his home.

But with the Phoenix community’s support, Blackwell gets to stay.

When he was given the eviction notice on Thursday, Blackwell said he didn’t know what to do, so he called local news outlets.

ABC15 aired a story about Blackwell on Friday, and by Friday night he was able to pay his landlord what he owed through customers coming in to shop and through donations in a GoFundMe. Blackwell said he is incredibly thankful for the support from the community, and hopes people continue to come in to shop. 

“People are choosing to bless me to earn a good life when they come in and shop in the business, it doesn’t get any simpler than that. They’re choosing to keep us open,” he said. 

Brittany Soto said Giving Vine Thrift Store is about a 15-minute walk from her home, but she had no idea it was there until her boyfriend saw ABC15’s story on Facebook. She visited Saturday and walked away white a white sparkly watch and brand new puppy pads.

“You’re now considered a loyal customer,” Blackwell told Soto as he checked her out. “Anytime you shop, you get 8% off when you shop online or in person. And then 50% off on your birthday.”

Treating customers like family is integral to his business, Blackwell said.

Although Blackwell didn’t want to lose his business and home, he said he understands that his landlord is a businessman too. He sent his landlord a text message Friday thanking them for their patience with a picture of his paid rent receipt, and the landlord responded Saturday evening telling him he’s asked the lawyers to stop the eviction process.

Blackwell plans to continue selling his handpicked tchotchkes, clothes, and books among everything else in his store while giving back to the community. He said he hands out meals to the homeless three times a week and tries to donate to charity whenever he can. His faith keeps him hopeful, he said, and serving his community in any way he can is what God told him to do.

Get in touch with breaking news reporter Chloe Jones at [email protected] and find her on Twitter at @chloeleejones.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Avenue thrift shop owner no longer facing eviction thanks to community support