Noah Johnson Daily Press Guests can enter and shop for just $1 at the HOPE Project Free Store.

ESCANABA — A local organization is letting people shop for only $1.

The HOPE Project, started by Jacie Williams in December of 2023 is a DBA organization helping people by providing a (basically) free store.

Williams started HOPE in 2017 with just a box on her property, letting anyone who needed the items take them for free. Williams said she decided put out the box because she knows the struggle.

“I wasn’t well off, but I was well off enough that I could afford to, you know, keep it stocked. So, I just wanted to help people,” Williams said.

After a drunk driver damaged her house and destroyed the box, she decided to upgrade.

She placed a shed on the property where the box was and kept it open for the public.

“It was kind of like a little store but it was also open 24 hours, you know, they could just come  and go as they please,” she said.

Eventually, Williams sold her house but the HOPE Project came with her, now located at 2301 9th Avenue North in Escanaba.

A bigger building meant Williams could expand the project and bring in more items.

She said that guests will come in and deposit a dollar to enter before they are allowed to walk around the store and pick out whatever and however much of the items they desire. Guests can pick from a variety of furniture, clothes, toys, personal care items and even food. Only certain items are limited including food, jewelry and personal care items. The rest of the store is free with no limitations.

In addition to shopping for only a buck, guests will also receive a ticket that is entered in a monthly drawing. The prizes in the past included a gift certificate to Drifters and a one-year free entry pass to the HOPE Project store. Williams does two drawings each month; one for shopper and one for donators.

Williams said that the products, essentially given out to the community, are sourced through donations and she could always use more of just about anything.

She said that right now, the store is in need of more food, personal care items, kids clothes and baby clothes. At this time, Williams asked for patrons to not donate any large furniture until there is more room to store it.

Impressively, outside of monetary gifts here and there, the HOPE store is able to fund itself while only charging a $1 entry fee.

“Every dollar counts,” she said.

The extra income the store receives after paying all of its expenses, goes right back into the project as Williams uses those funds to purchase food and personal care items.

Williams said that the store is for everybody, not just those in need.

“We just want people to know that everybody is welcome. We have lots of things to give out and we have pretty much something for everybody,” she said.

“There’s kind of a stigma, it seems like people think if they’re not poor enough that they can’t shop.”

Residents can help the HOPE Project tremendously just by shopping at the store. Williams said in addition to the items in the store, there are two other storage units full of stuff.

“We just need stuff to go out so we can put more out,” Williams said.

The Hope Project store is located at 2301 9th Avenue North in Escanaba.

The hours can vary, but Williams posts all closures and openings on the store’s Facebook page at The Hope Project.