The Arc of Southwest Washington is moving forward with opening a thrift store in central Vancouver, but the opening will likely be delayed to sometime this summer.
David Wunderlin, the nonprofit’s executive director, said they originally aimed to open May 2 at Vancouver Plaza. However, the organization has not yet raised enough money and needs to make some improvements to the space, including replacing the flooring and painting the walls.
“We believe that we’re going to get this done. It’s just taking more time than we anticipated,” Wunderlin said.
While The Arc’s mission is to serve people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, its identity is intrinsically tied to collecting donations of used goods. It continues collecting and selling stuff to Value Village at a per-pound rate, which makes up about half of the nonprofit’s revenue. Although that contract was originally going to end this month, it’s been extended.
The independent thrift store model that’s been used by other Arcs around the country is seen as a way to make the organization financially self-sustainable. The Arc of Southwest Washington has a tumultuous financial history and was known for “careening from year to year,” Wunderlin said; that’s been brought under control in the last few years. However, when Vancouver’s Value Village store closed in November 2016 that meant The Arc eventually needed to secure income from somewhere else or cut its services. The Arc provides supported living arrangements, representative payee services and guardianships. Resource guides go out into the community with clients to help them socialize, explore and learn skills.
Wunderlin hopes to land sponsors and an in-kind donation to fix the floor and walls. Although people can donate money online, Wunderlin prefers potential donors call him at 360-254-1562, so he can explain what The Arc is trying to achieve.
This-n-That’s future
Arc’s forthcoming thrift store venture created the temporary closure of another thrift store, This-n-That.
Arc’s storefront at Vancouver Plaza is about a mile away from its warehouse. The proximity is what attracted Wunderlin to the location, along with the size; the former OfficeMax is a more suitable size than other available commercial spaces, like vacant grocery stores. He said he was eyeing the space when it was vacant and originally shied away from pursuing a lease once another thrift store, This-n-That, moved in.
“I didn’t want to get in the middle of someone who has a business,” Wunderlin said.
But the landlord, Cafaro Northwest Partnership, explained that This-n-That’s tenancy was always intended to be short term. Joe Corsell, vice president of Cafaro’s West Coast leasing, said This-n-That got a break on rent with the understanding that the lease could be terminated at any time, whereas The Arc’s lease is a more traditional long-term deal.
Cafaro originally tried to bring in a Value Village concept to that building, which is between Crunch Fitness and PetSmart, but that didn’t work out, Corsell said. (TVI Inc., the Bellevue-based for-profit company that owns Value Village, Savers and other thrift stores, is facing a lawsuit from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson.)
Corsell said Cafaro is looking forward to The Arc opening its thrift store and is disappointed in how some people negatively perceived the lease change.
Annette North, director of the Clark County Christian Center, which operates This-n-That, said the thrift store was doing great financially and had just hired its 19th employee when it was told to vacate. She said she had no idea that The Arc was planning on opening a thrift store, much less in that space. So, she was shocked when she got the news because there are other available commercial spaces in Clark County.
“It was devastating,” North said. “The doors were wide open and then the doors were shut closed.”
This-n-That laid off all 19 employees. The store had been working with a half dozen agencies to give furniture and clothing to those in need, so the store was the revenue stream for its mission. This-n-That periodically gave items that didn’t sell in the store to The Arc.
North hopes to find another space and strengthen its mission of giving to the community.
