Mint Thrift opened in near Shaw and Marty avenues in Fresno in 2022. Photo by Frank Lopez

A Fresno thrift store plans to open its doors as a warming center when the temperature drops to near freezing.

The City of Fresno was set to approve a memorandum of understanding at its Thursday meeting with Mint Thrift at 4798 N. Marty Ave. in Fresno to serve vulnerable populations cold weather events or emergencies.

Mint Thrift opened in 2022.

Warming centers in the city are activated anytime the temperature is forecasted to drop below 35 degrees.

Mint Thrift is part of The ACTS Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving the Central Valley by providing food, supplies and education to underserved individuals.

The city will provide support to activate and operate the store as a warming center by providing staffing, custodial services, equipment and community outreach.

The City will also provide equipment such as cots and blankets, meals and safety measures during the hours of operation at the warming center.

Staff will set up at 6 p.m., open the warming center from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and clean and reset until 8 a.m.

According to the memorandum, the city will not hold the store or its employees accountable for claims of injuries or damages to people or property that may arise.

The city will employ one bonded, licensed security guard with fire watch certification.

Robin Nino, executive director of the ACTS Foundation, said Councilmember Mike Karbassi reached out to see if they had any facilities that could be utilized as a warming center and offered space in the thrift store.

She said this is the first time store will operate as warming center.

Mint Thrift was set up with much of its merchandise placed on carts so they can easily be moved into storage space.

Cots will be placed inside the store space and approximately 25 people will be able to be accommodated.

“The purpose of us creating this nonprofit was to help the city any we can, and this was a need the city had, and we had the means to do that. If we are able to help in any way, we will,” Nino said.