LEWISTON — Alter 207, a thrift store created by the local nonprofit Kaydenz Kitchen, was a week away from opening in October when a fire from a nearby car ripped through 551 Lincoln St.

The fire put the store on hold for seven months, but it became one more way for the group to live out its values.

“Life always bring challenges, and it’s how we deal with those challenges that establish who we are and the mark we leave,” said Kevin Boilard, executive director of Kaydenz Kitchen. “Our organization has really backed itself on resiliency. When other people run away, we run toward.

“This is an opportunity to turn a negative moment into something positive and bring new life back to this building and this community,” he said.

Alter 207 held a soft opening last Friday, and now will be open regular hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The store features a wide variety of gently used items, with new inventory every day, including clothing, blankets, household items and more. All items are donated from the public, who are asked to drop off donations during regular hours.

“This checks many boxes for the community,” said Boilard. “With the rise in cost in everything, just trying to figure out if you’re going to get clothing or groceries for that week can be a challenge for some. We wanted to bring quality to the community at an affordable price.”

The building was the former home of Schemengees Bar & Grille, the site of a mass shooting on Oct. 25, 2023. In 2024, Kaydenz Kitchen used the location as a warming center before the center was moved to the former Fortin Group funeral home in 2025.

The thrift store helps support the organization’s effort to create the region’s first 24-hour, low-barrier shelter, which is expected to go before the Lewiston City Council for licensing approval in coming weeks.

Boilard said he was feeling mixed emotions leading up to opening Alter 207. It has really given him a “new sense of life” in continuing to help serve the community, he said.

On the store’s opening day, community members poured in to check it out, including Shanena Barnes and Magnus Knudsen, who recently lost most of what they owned in a fire on College Street.

The couple and their kids had been living in a hotel room and just recently got an apartment on Howe Street.

The family was at Alter 207 on Friday shopping for furniture for their new place and clothing for the whole family to help get them back on their feet once again.

They say they are now restocking after losing everything they owned in the fire. They are starting to get beds for themselves and are awaiting bunk beds for their daughters, but that’s all they have for furniture.

Boilard made sure their trip was worthwhile, telling them as they were checking out that everything they picked would be free.

“We know you’ve been through a lot this past month losing everything and we just want to help you out in any way we can,” Boilard told the couple.

“I am still at a loss of words,” said Barnes after checking out. “My Pop Pop actually sent me $100 and I was planning on using it here. They were very sweet in there and it was an amazing surprise.”

It’s important to lend a hand to those who you think need it most, Boilard said.

“You can tell they’re in desperate need,” he said. “They’re with minimal resources, but at the same time they have a sense of pride to where they don’t want to ask for free handouts. Those are the opportunities we feel are best fit for charitable acts, those who can benefit from it naturally.”