I’m a member of Mom Club Garage Sale which is actually run by one of my coworker’s daughter. You can check it out too. Right now here site covers different areas of Pennsylvania.
In Johnstown, PA in downtown there is a candy stored name, quite simply, The Candy Store. I’ll be completely honest, for as long as I’ve lived in the are I never even knew it was there. So sad really. Upon talking to the owner I found out he’s had the store for over 40 years. It seems a lot of the Johnstown area folks remember frequenting his store when they were kids.
It was brought to Mommy Club Garage Sale owner, Lisa’s attention that that nice man that owns The Candy Shop, has fallen on hard times. Without going into specific details his candy shop is the only thing he has left and lives at the store because he has no where else to go. He’s 85 years old and just loves running his candy store. He hadn’t had many customers until very recently thanks to Mommy Club Garage Sales. They are scheduling a clean up with their group to help clean and and brighten the old candy store on December 8, 2012 A local news station, WJACTV.com will be there to do a piece with MCGS on bringing sweetness back to Johnstown.
They’re working on getting someone to donate a nice sign to him. There are a couple member working on that. Right now he just has “The Candy Shop” painted in his front window. Honestly if I hadn’t been told it was still open I would have thought it closed a long time ago. This man has been so grateful for the help he has gotten so far and the MCGS member telling their friends and family. His business has gotten better in the last week or so. I myself went down there today and bought a bunch of candy from him. He apologized to me for being slow. He told me he has cataracts doesn’t see well. Hedidn’t think he could afford to get the surgery done but now with the increased business he said he might be able to get the surgery he needs to see better by the end of the year.
Everything I bought only came to $10.15. He still has “penny” candy options in his store. Well it’s 2 cents a piece but where can you even find that now a days?!! I only had a $20 bill and a couple ones so I gave him the $20 and told him to keep the change. He kinda gasped a little and thanked me. He was so nice to my son throughout the whole visit. As I was leaving there were 5 or 6 more people heading into his store.
A member of the groups said he can’t wait to wake up now since the changes from Mommy Club Garage sales and said he prayed for help.
I just had to share this story. Especially since I just did a post not long ago about remember the spirit of Christmas. Even if you think you can’t afford to help someone there are other ways to do it. Like the ladies going to help clean his store or contacting WJAC. If you don’t know how to help, one kind gesture can lead to a chain reaction of more. This story is proof that that can be true.
If you happen to be heading to the Johnstown, PA area stop by The Candy Shop. I’m trying to find out the exact address but he’s across the street from the Holiday Inn in downtown Johnstown on Vine St.
