The idea for encore emerged during the summer of 2009 when, one night after dinner, my dad challenged me to start a resale store. I've always been interested in business, (I recently built a website for students taking AP Exams, called http://etestnotes.com/). After being given the idea, I wrote a business plan and presented the idea to the Elders of Holy Trinity. We had seen a model that worked before since some of our elders helped launch Twice is Nice.  The elders in turn recommended that we start the store through Hope for Chicago (Holy Trinity’s Mercy and Justice not-for-profit), which had the framework and vision that made Encore possible. Encore evolved through a number of Hope for Chicago discussions, but the dream really started to make progress after we hired Kristi Brockway to be the store's manager. Kristi found retail space for Encore to rent and did everything, from buying coat hangers to setting up phone service, that needed to be done to get Encore open for business. Through her hard work and help from some dedicated volunteers, Encore opened during mid-December! Looking back, I'm so thankful for everything God did to get Encore off the ground, and look forward to seeing His plan for the store in the future.  Encore is owned and operated by Hope for Chicago in partnership with Holy Trinity.   All proceeds will either benefit community renewal projects within the city of Chicago, or be used to start additional stores. Our vision is to see not just one Encore store, but to see it spread throughout the city in other stores as an accelerator for mercy and justice in Chicago.  For more information, feel free to email me or >,

http://hope4chicago.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encore-Resale-Store/161420293882151