Good to Great

Good organizations with visionary leadership all seem to want to move from good to great, and that’s just what our PTA Thrift Shop is doing. In early May, I interviewed executive director Barbara Jessie-Black (no relation) on Who’s Talking, and she mentioned that there was some exciting news about the store coming in the near future. And is it ever exciting!  To move from good to great the PTA Thrift Shop has launched a campaign to redevelop their Carrboro site.

 

The plan is to do a $5.1 million expansion that will replace the current Carrboro store with a facility with a plaza and erect a new building on the site of the current office. That new space will be leased and generate additional income for the 501(c)(3) non-profit. If you have been to the Carrboro store, you know that they can use the additional space to display, store and sort merchandise.

 

The Thrift Shop Board is looking to raise about $1.7 million in donations and Barbara Jessie-Black feels positive about the challenge of raising that kind of support from our community. That money, plus loans and investor dollars will make the dream of a cost-efficient, green building under one roof a reality. Furthermore, the new facility’s landscaped grounds will create a plaza that can serve as a community meeting place, and of course, help beautify the neighborhood.

 

Best of all, this new facility will help the PTA Thrift Store accomplish their goal of providing donations to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Last fiscal year, they donated over $240,000 to the 18 schools in the system. Over the last five years, the total donated was $1.3 million and they contribute clothing to our various local social service agencies as well.

 

Next year the organization celebrates their 60^th anniversary. As Barbara Guild volunteers noticed a lack of funds available for art education in the school district and wanted to do something to help, and the solution was to open a thrift shop. The popularity of the store grew and over the years, it became a community mainstay, and they are willing to try to sell the normal and not so normal thrift shop fare. Would you believe that they have sold cars and boats?

 

What can we do to help make all of this possible? We can make a donation! Go to the PTA Thrift Shop campaign website and scroll down to the donation information at the bottom. Our gifts will be returned to the schools when the new facility is operational and we all benefit from having great schools. After all, that’s what going from good to great is all about.

What do you think?