MEXICO — To the joy and relief of many in the River Valley, the Free Store is back in business.

The shop at 33 Roxbury Ave. closed for two days last week after two burglaries in three weeks, owner Margaret McNeal announced.

The store has provided essential household items, free of charge to the needy in the River Valley area for roughly 35 years.

News of the closure elicited an outpouring of support from the community over the weekend, McNeal said, from numerous communications to donations of clothing, bedding and other items.

“The donations just kept coming and coming all weekend,” she said.

“I refused to let these thieves get the best of us,” she said Monday afternoon.

“There’s a real need for our store,” Manager Cindy Sweetser said. “We are averaging 300 people in the store each week … some from as far away as Lewiston and New Hampshire.

“What we need most are cash donations for the purchase of a furnace since ours gave out this past spring,” she said, “as well as to pay for the utilities such as electricity, water and heating oil.

“For our customers,” Sweetser said, “we are most in need of furniture such as beds, chairs and bureaus. We have a waiting list for these.”

The store hours are Monday, noon to 3 p.m, and Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The  store will hold a fundraiser July 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot to buy a new furnace. There will be a Chinese auction, 50/50, bake sale, cake walk, music and more. For more information please contact Julie at 491-0034 or Cindy at 418-4501.