MERRILLVILLE | It's a thrift store offering everything from basketball hoops to hoop earrings.

Ross Wonson, spokesman for the newly opened City Outreach Foundation, said the shop is a bargain hunter's dream with a 75,000-square-foot showroom featuring used appliances, computers, clothing, toys, furniture, building materials, exercise equipment, books and household goods.

The building at 6490 Broadway formerly housed the Handy Andy lumber company.

"Our prices are cheaper than everyone else's, including our competitors. We stay in line because we know the items have been donated," he said.

Proceeds, with the exception of money used for basic overhead, will be used by the foundation to help fund a number of programs in the Northwest Indiana and Chicago area, he said.

The programs focus on drug abuse, alcoholism, homelessness and Christian education.

The foundation is a nonprofit organization associated with the First Baptist Church of Hammond, he said. "This is our very first store," Wonson said.

The store has an enclosed 24-hour drop-off with video security, he said.

Receipts are available to donors for tax purposes, he said.

Items stocked in the store come from area businesses, storage facilities and even the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

"The bulk of our items come from individual donations," Wonson said.

Volunteer employees sort through all of the donated items, discarding those that are ruined and revitalizing those that can be fixed.

One section of the store, where books and magazines are for sale, also includes comfortable chairs for browsing, he said. "We're hoping in the future we may also include a restaurant and coffee shop, possibly a Starbucks," Wonson said.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Wednesday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday hours are 1 to 6 p.m.