Craig — The L.O.V.E.M.I. Inc. Thrift Shoppe is downtown once again. Yvette Williams Davis opened her shop at its new location at 512 Yampa Ave. in late June, coming to a spot just a few blocks away from where it used to be before it moved, about a year ago, to a space on Baker Drive.

Davis said the building on Baker Drive was sold, and she discovered an open space to rent on Yampa Avenue.

“We see more traffic here,” she said. “A lot of my customers were excited when I told them I was moving. The community here has welcomed me back downtown.”

Kim Cox, a realtor with Cornerstone Realty, worked with Davis to find the downtown space.

“We’re glad that she’s back,” Cox said. “She has a nonprofit, and a lot of people frequent the (Community) Budget Center and her place. It’s a good spot.”

Cox noted, too, that it’s an especially good development for the downtown community considering that the space has been vacant for some time.

“Any time you can get someone to move downtown it’s wonderful, just for the street traffic,” she said.

Davis is pastor of Loyal Outreach Voluntary Evangelistic Ministries International, or L.O.V.E.M.I., in Craig. Since 2014 she’s operated a thrift shop and a shelter for women and children.

“The shelter is designed for women, and women with children, who find themselves facing homelessness,” Davis said.

The shelter is on Russell Street, so the new downtown location of the shop means that the two places are closer to each other than they were before. That makes it easier for people for people who want to stay at the shelter to consult with Davis.

But Davis said the shelter still needs some help.

“The shelter is in need,” she said. “We’re looking for a house parent.”

Davis said the position would not be paid, but it would provide someone with a place to stay. Or, she said, someone — a woman, given the nature of the shelter — could volunteer to come in when needed.

“She would be able to cook, and she would need to have good communication skills,” Davis said.

Right now it’s Davis who stays at the shelter when people are there, and that means the shelter has to close during the day until 5 p.m. If someone could help out, Davis said, the shelter could open back up at 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, Davis said she’s determined to keep the shelter going.

“It’s a call that I feel like God has placed on my life, so no matter what I have to show up and I have to carry it on,” she added.

As for the store, the new location harbors plenty of space for furniture, housewares, children’s items and the other products Davis carries. There’s also room, toward the back, for meetings and other events.

Davis said the store accepts consignment.

“It’s still a little bit early,” she said, “but we anticipate a greater number than we saw before.”

People seeking more information can call 970-824-1066 or 970-756-7113.

Contact Michael Neary at 970-875-1794 or mneary@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Education.