The community’s response to news of the impending closure of Green Again for New Beginnings has been heartening, but a plan to keep the store open has not yet been presented.
“There’s been a lot of commiseration, which is lovely, but what I need is rent money, which I don’t have,” said Liz Westcott, executive director of Green Haven Shelter for Women, which benefits from the sales at the Green Again thrift shop.
The store pays market rent, almost $1,700 per month, which “is not exorbitant” for its Mississaga Street location, Westcott said. However, it’s turned out to be too much for the non-profit.
“It’s just unfortunate that trying to keep ourselves competitive and keep ourselves available to those who need us doesn’t pay the rent,” she said.
Women who use the shelter’s services are allowed to shop for free at the store. While those clients are the store’s No. 1 priority, they’re not the only ones who have benefited from that gesture. Green Again has offered clothing and other goods to fire victims and people who have used the services of the Lighthouse shelter and the Children’s Aid Society.
“That’s something we’ve been very proud of,” Westcott said. “The store has been one of our greatest achievements. It’s more than a retail outlet.”
While some have said a fundraiser would help, the store would likely need more than a temporary injection of cash.
“The need’s going to be ongoing. That’s the issue,” Westcott said.
In the interest of clients’ safety, the location of the women’s shelter is not made public. That’s where Green Again helps with awareness.
“The store gives us a public face,” Westcott said.
She acknowledged “there may not be an appetite or an ability to do something” to keep the doors open, but she is open to offers and suggestions.
Westcott can be reached at [email protected] or 705-327-7383, ext. 223.
The store, which has been open for 16 years, is no longer accepting donations and is scheduled to close April 1.
