from Overwhelming Community Support

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Somebody’s Attic Benefits from Overwhelming Community Support

TARA BONE

2020 HAS BEEN a year of challenges. Countless lives have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and businesses everywhere have felt the sting of lost revenue, but amid the negative, the Cache Valley community has come together to support Somebody’s Attic, a local non-profit that’s been making a difference since 1985.

Despite this year’s economic struggles, Somebody’s Attic is experiencing record-breaking success. The non-profit thrift store with locations in downtown Logan and Smithfield relies heavily on volunteer support and community patronage. Somebody’s Attic accepts new and gently used contributing writer items and sells those items at discount prices to the public. All of the organization’s proceeds are given to two other local non-profits, CAPSA (Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse) and The Family Place.

For 26 years, Joy Gallagher Shaw has been the executive director of Somebody’s Attic and has witnessed the organization’s growth. It was founded in 1985 by Carole Gibbs, Ann Jurinak, and Linda Miller as a way to provide funds for CAPSA and The Family Place, formerly known as the Child and Family Support Center.

Joy says in the first year of operation, annual cash donations to Somebody’s Attic totaled $12,000. In 2019, cash donations were $120,000, and projected cash donations for 2020 are $130,000. Joy believes their success is attributed to staying true to their founding principles and for incredible community support.

“Somebody’s Attic is a successful grassroots organization that has stayed true to its mission, of providing long-term funding to abuse prevention agencies operating in Cache Valley, while providing quality affordable merchandise,” Joy said. “We receive amazing donations from our community.”

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Somebody's Attic Executive Director Joy Gallagher Shaw and Somebody's Attic founder and board member Carole Gibbs.

The success of Somebody’s Attic is especially appreciated at this time when demand for CAPSA and The Family Place services has increased. Unfortunately, Cache Valley has followed the national trend of an alarming increase in domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to CAPSA, during the first months of the pandemic in March and April of 2020, CAPSA experienced a 122% increase in crisis calls to their 24-hour support line as compared to the same months in 2019. In fact, demand for all of CAPSA’s free services, including therapy services, casework sessions, and emergency shelter help, increased. Despite being closed because of COVID for eight weeks in March and April, and only being open half of their regular hours, Joy says Somebody’s Attic has kept going because they received a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) Loan that covered two months of wages and utilities, and they have experienced overwhelming public donations. They also benefited from truckloads of shelving from JC Penney. The donations are welcome but have also created some unexpected bumps. “The COVID clean-out is a double-edged sword,” Joy said. “The tremendous increase in donations means that we have more to sell, but it also means that we are daily at capacity and more damaged items are coming in through the back door.” Damaged items such as tires, chemicals, and TVs take a lot of room and time to process. Joy says damaged donations come at a great cost to Somebody’s Attic and they transport an average of six truckloads of garbage to the dump each week. Donations that are in good repair are truly

appreciated.

Joy says Somebody’s Attic is primarily a volunteer agency with an average of 65 volunteers. Currently there are 15 part-time paid employees and they also work with court-ordered community service and other service groups. Joy added that COVID has “upended” their entire operation.

Social distancing limits how many people can work or enter the building and they’ve shortened their store hours to 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Thursdays are used to catch up on donations and deep clean the stores.

Even with these challenges, it’s clear that Somebody’s Attic will continue to thrive with Joy and its committed team of employees, volunteers, and community members all working together for an important cause: to prevent abuse and strengthen and protect families.

“I am more passionate about its mission and success than I ever have been,” Joy said.

Somebody’s Attic stores are located at 39 West 100 North in Logan and on Smithfield’s Main Street. Check their website somebodysattics.org for donation information. Unique and special items are featured in their storefront windows and auctioned each month in silent auctions. Visit their Facebook page @SomebodysAttic for more details.

Happy Holidays

FROM DR. COLE AND THE CHILD & FAMILY EYECARE TEAM

(435) 363-2980