by Ian Lange, Lopez Thrift Shop Board
Have you been wondering when the new Lopez Thrift Shop will be built?
Excited shop volunteers are also wondering when this long-awaited edifice will arise on the lot purchased just north of the Lopez Village Market.
The idea of a new Thrift Shop building was conceived in 2005, after being housed in Jean Boushey’s water tower for more than 20 years. Business has been good in our temporary quarters, but a permanent site has long been envisioned. Your Thrift Shop Board originally hoped that the new building would be operational by the end of 2008; thus, the building-fund drive commenced in 2007.
Construction will take place next year due to, among other considerations: 1.) The necessary and careful planning which has gone into the building design by architect Oswaldo Mino; 2.) The permitting process; and 3.) The extra planning and construction time needed by the builders.
Please don’t despair! Our spacious, two-story structure will arise in 2009, on the site now hosting the old horse drawn wagon. We are very excited about this new shop. Because we want to do it right, and not overlook important details, construction will not be rushed.
Above is a sketch of the building seen from the southwest where the wagon now resides. The two-story shop’s 1,000 square feet on the first floor will be split into retail sales and merchandise preparation; a small office and bathroom will also be included. The second floor will be devoted to much-needed storage. This efficient design will allow more merchandise to be sold, and cost the Thrift Shop less in storage fees. The bottom line, of course, is that the Thrift Shop can offer a greater annual, monetary contribution to the more than 20 Lopez charitable organizations it presently supports. They include the Catherine Washburn Clinic, Lopez Hospice and Home Support, The Lions Club, the Lopez Community Center, and the Lopez Family Resource Center.
If you have not yet contributed to the building fund, please consider doing so. As you can see from the partial list above, this organization of more than 70 volunteers doesn’t just support one charity, but many! Most importantly, the smaller the mortgage on our new building, the more our all-volunteer organization can give to the community. We are very grateful for many monetary contributions to date, and for the intensive fund-raising activities Thrift Shop volunteers have energetically staged. If you have already donated money, merchandise, and/or time to work for the shop, “Pat yourself on the back!” After passing the $500,000 mark, we are well on our way to raising one million dollars to give to the Lopez community and can’t wait to continue this endeavor in the new shop!
Note: In addition to cash contributions, the Thrift Shop recently set up an account with D.A. Davidson in Bellevue, WA, to accept stock. This might be a helpful deduction for some come next April 15 when taxes are due. (Please no livestock.)
