Charity Shop Closes, but It Has Hope

The Downey Thrift Shop has shut its doors after nearly 30 years of dispensing food and clothing to the needy.

The nonprofit store, which is sponsored by local PTAs, lost its lease and a months-long effort to find affordable space it could move to was futile. Store officials say their search will continue into the new year, and if that fails, they will try to save the store’s food bank.

“If we could find a room about the size of a garage we could continue to give food throughout the year,” said Antha Mouck, director of the store.

The Thrift Shop was founded in 1957 by the Downey Coordinating Council, a coalition of area civic organizations. The Downey Council Parent-Teacher Assn., which represents all the PTAs in the Downey Unified School District, took over sponsorship two years later.

The store, which has operated in several locations over the years, used the money earned from the sale of secondhand clothes to buy food to give to the needy. The proceeds also paid for activities such as health testing at local schools.

The store employs an office manager, an assistant and a part-time bookkeeper, but otherwise, labor is provided by about 20 PTA volunteers, Mouck said.

Auto Parts Store Expansion

For the past six years, the shop was next to an auto parts store on Lakewood Boulevard. But the Thrift Shop lost its lease when the owner of the building expanded his auto parts store.

The Thrift Shop was paying just under $500 a month for about 3,000 square feet of floor space, which was inexpensive enough to allow it to continue operating, Mouck said.

Thrift Store officials contacted the city, the school district and local civic and church organizations seeking another site, but received no offers or solid leads, Mouck said.

“They had done a lot of good and it would be a shame to lose them,” said Velma Ploessel, president of the Downey Coordinating Council, which was approached by Thrift Shop officials. “I wish we could help.”

Mouck said the Thrift Shop can’t afford to pay more than $800 a month for the 2,000 square feet it needs.

Store officials have until Jan. 15 to move out, but unless they find something soon they will begin selling racks and other equipment needed for the store, Mouck said.

Merchandise Cleared Out

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, about 10 workers began clearing the secondhand jackets, blouses and shoes from store racks. There were old crutches that had to go, as well as dishes, vases, an old pair of snow skis and a rack of men’s ties.

The clothes and other articles would go to other organizations that help the needy, Mouck said.

Donations were the lifeblood of the Thrift Shop. Donated clothes were sold to raise money for rent and to buy food coupons for Christmas turkeys that were given away. The store’s food bank was fueled by donated non-perishable items.

Families referred by local schools, police and various service clubs were eligible to receive $75 in free food and clothing every six months. The store provided free food and clothing for three to 10 families a month, Mouck said.

And then there are the Christmas baskets--the last chore of Downey Thrift Shop operators.

Baskets for Indigent

The store has provided the indigent with baskets of food and presents each Christmas for the past 27 years. Last year 150 families received baskets, and 140 families are expected to receive baskets this Christmas.

Thrift Shop volunteers worked through the end of last week assembling the baskets and will distribute them Monday and Tuesday.

Even if the Thrift Shop cannot find affordable space, volunteers want to run the food bank. But the space for that would have to be donated, because without the Thrift Shop, there would be no money to pay rent. Store sales generated nearly $40,000 each of the past two years, Mouck said.

“We need a room for no rent so we could give the food to needy families, but it would have to be free. We’d have no income,” she said.