Every rack of clothing and every shelf of household goods at The Nearly New Thrift Store on Queen Street in Niagara Falls exists for a single purpose: raising money to keep young people in the Niagara region connected with adult mentors. The store is operated directly by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara, and rather than functioning as a side project, it is one of the organizations primary fundraising engines, with all revenue from sales reinvested to support mentoring programs serving children and youth across Niagaras twelve municipalities.
Located at 4311 Queen Street in Niagara Falls, Ontario, the shop stocks washed, bagged, good condition clothing for adults and children alongside gently used small household items, kitchenware, linens, and similar goods. Because the store depends on community donations to keep its shelves stocked, it maintains clear guidelines about what it can accept, and it is not able to take large appliances, furniture, recalled products, opened personal care items, or anything damaged beyond reasonable use. The store is open to shoppers Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm, and donors can drop off items during the same days at the back entrance off Erie Street between 11 am and 3 pm, a schedule designed to keep both retail and donation traffic manageable for the mostly volunteer run operation.
Volunteers are, in fact, central to how the store functions day to day. With a small staff supplemented heavily by community volunteers who sort, price, and sell donated goods, the shop is able to direct essentially all of its proceeds back into mentoring rather than overhead, a model that reflects the broader mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations across the country. For shoppers, that means every purchase, whether its a bag of clothing or a box of kitchen items, contributes directly to pairing local kids with mentors who can offer guidance, friendship, and support during formative years.
One notable chapter in the stores recent history came in the spring of 2026, when The Nearly New Thrift Store celebrated a grand reopening after extensive water damage had forced a temporary closure. Getting the shop back open and restocked took considerable community effort, underscoring just how much the store matters both as a fundraising source for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara and as a neighbourhood shopping fixture that regular customers had missed while it was closed. That reopening reflects the kind of resilience common to small, mission driven charity retailers, where a setback becomes an opportunity to rally volunteers and donors rather than a reason to scale back.
Niagara Falls itself sits within the broader Niagara Region, and the Queen Street address places the shop within reach of residents throughout the city, not far from the areas well known tourist core but serving primarily a local, everyday shopping clientele looking for affordable clothing and household basics. Anyone wanting to donate, volunteer, or simply shop can reach the store directly by phone or contact the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara office for more information on hours, drop off procedures, or how proceeds are used.
In short, The Nearly New Thrift Store is a volunteer powered charity shop in Niagara Falls that sells affordable secondhand clothing and household goods with one clear goal: funding Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagaras youth mentoring programs across the region.
