When opportunity didn’t present itself to Richard Youngblood, he created a way for himself and others with his first business venture, R & D Thrift Store and Consignment Gallery in Renton.

The store held a ribbon-cutting last Wednesday and has been open since July.

The 62-year-old was frustrated he couldn’t find a job back in April.

Youngblood had previously worked in retail for Sears for 12 years, working his way into management. He went from Sears to Wal-Mart, becoming an assistant manager, training employees and setting up new stores.

Then he found himself out of work in 2010 and said he had “way too much talent to sit home and do nothing.”

The decision to act came after he was watching CNN and saw a news report. The broadcast was about how dollar stores were out-performing Wal-Mart.

Youngblood remembers the reporter saying, “The greatest thing you could do right now if you’re looking for a venture is to open a thrift store.”

The economy had produced a population hungry for money-saving deals and Youngblood seized the opportunity, opening up R & D Thrift Store at 226 Wells Ave. S.

Scouring estate and garage sales, he looks for his inventory going to about two to three estate sales and seven to 10 garage sales a week.

But, the job is more than just a means to a paycheck for Youngblood. It’s a way to help people going through hard times and a chance to help the community.

“This way here you can help people, you can help others,” he said. “You can do so many good things and it’s all about pricing this merchandise.”

Youngblood buys his merchandise and sets prices so that he can pass value on to his customers. It involves some haggling and if people aren’t interested in his mission, he’s been known to walk away from sellers.

His store has everything from clothing, art work, decorative arts, shoes and jewelry to appliances.

But, he often becomes friends with the vendors at the estate and garage sales he frequents.

“I tell people the one thing in life that you can never go wrong on: being honest and treating people like you want to be treated yourself,” said Youngblood. “If you keep that in mind and just go on and live that everyday, it’s going to come around.”

Paying it forward, he talks to friends and family about, “what can we do to help people in this city.”

He has donated items to different community organizations, such as the Lions Club, the Renton Clothing Bank and to an organization that helps troubled teens.

Youngblood has also outfitted homeless people walking past his shop with clothes from inside.

It’s his passion and something he’s motivated to do, he says, having come from a difficult childhood.

He doesn’t think people have quite discovered his store yet, but the people that do come in remark on its cleanliness and the deals.

Youngblood runs the store with his wife Donna and their neighbor, Pam Sherry.

“We’re good neighbors and we just get along really well and we work well together,” said Sherry.

She hadn’t worked in years, so it was a welcome opportunity to help the Youngbloods out.

Donna Youngblood’s father was former Renton mayor and City Council member Jesse Tanner and her family dates back to the late 1800s in the city.

When it came time to choose a location for their store, Youngblood said, “There was no other place I would have opened a business other than here.”

The city has been good to them since they opened, Youngblood said.

“They’ve gone out of their way to help make this an easy transition for me to adjust to it,” he said.

It will take him some time to get the right mix of merchandise in the store, but Youngblood said he’s committed to it.

“It’s fun to see people come in, the glare and passion in their eyes,” he said of bargain and treasure shoppers.