Leaders of Lewiston nonprofit Kaydenz Kitchen say large amounts of unusable furniture, clothing and other goods are being dropped off after hours at its Lincoln Street location, creating a financial burden as the organization works toward opening a thrift store there as well as a 24-hour shelter downtown.

According to Kaydenz Kitchen founder Kevin Boilard, people have been dropping off items almost nightly, the bulk of which is not usable for resale as thrift items. Last week, the organization said on social media that it paid $450 in dump fees to dispose of items left after hours.

“Donations are only accepted when we are OPEN!” the post said. “This is not an after hours dumping ground for everyone!”

Kaydenz Kitchen leaders, which was selected last year to operate Androscoggin County’s first 24/7, low-barrier shelter, said the issue is “creating a huge financial burden and inconvenience for us daily, while we are struggling to keep our head above water for our permit approval.”

After operating a winter emergency shelter last year at the former Schemengee’s Bar & Grille on Lincoln Street, the organization announced in July that it was under contract to purchase the former Fortin Group funeral home on Horton Street for the 24-hour shelter.

Boilard said the issue is a “constant challenge” at a time when the organization is attempting to reopen the Lincoln Street location as a thrift store and resource center, and is on the cusp of moving into the Horton Street property.

Boilard said the after-hours drops have become common for all thrift stores, including at Goodwill and Salvation Army locations, where the problem isn’t new. He said when donations are made during operating hours, staff can use discretion on whether or not to accept them, and that most of the time the items are in good shape. However, “after hours it’s the opposite,” he said, and nine times out of 10 the items are placed in a pile for the dump.

“It feels like it’s intentional,” he said.

Kaydenz Kitchen launched a community-based thrift store, Alter 207, in the spring of this year, with proceeds going to support shelter resources. The organization has recently emphasized the thrift store model as a way to directly support operational costs of the new shelter, but Boilard said they have been unable to open the store as the team works through the permitting process with the city.

Boilard said Kaydenz Kitchen needs a change-of-use approval from the city for the Lincoln Street building, which comes with required code upgrades. He said the organization has continued to pay rent for the building despite being unable to open the thrift store for the past three months.

Last week, organization leaders said they are sitting on an estimated $100,000 in inventory in a “10,000-square-foot facility that we can’t open,” and asked for community help to market the items for sale online.

Operating hours for the Lincoln Street site are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kaydenz Kitchen leaders were initially in talks to purchase the Lincoln Street building for the permanent shelter, but instead pursued the Horton Street property with the help of $2.5 million in funding from MaineHousing.

Boilard said they have an agreement with the owners of 551 Lincoln St. to lease the building month to month until they can build momentum for the thrift store model and potentially settle on a long-term lease.

“We think we have a model that’s unique and can take the pressure off the taxpayer,” Boilard said, adding that the thrift store will also serve as a workforce development program for shelter guests.

There’s been a few instances of people dropping items at the Horton Street location as well, Boilard said, which is also a challenge because Kaydenz Kitchen doesn’t own it yet. He said while they are hoping to close on the building this month, they’ve been sending staff over to the property to check on it and clean things up if needed.

In the meantime, Boilard said architectural firm Platz Associates is designing the renovation work for the Horton Street building, and they are hoping work can begin by the end of October.

Boilard said Kaydenz Kitchen is in the process of bringing on more staff to work through the startup of the new shelter, which they hope to open by the end of January. Boilard said he envisions a warming center component operating at Horton Street starting Dec. 1 until the shelter is ready.