Two months after announcing its new name to the public, CommunityWorx officially completed its rebranding with a launch ceremony on Friday.

Board members, staff and representatives from the local chamber of commerce cut a ribbon to formally announce the rebranding of the long-time PTA Thrift Shop. The celebration inside the YouthWorx on Main building, adjacent to the shop in Carrboro, was the culmination of more than a year of work transitioning from the shop’s previous name to CommunityWorx.

President and CEO of CommunityWorx Barbara Jessie-Black described the day as the closing on a 70 year-long chapter and the beginning of a new one, where the shop’s mission grows beyond serving local students and families with their sales.

“Now the next iteration is around closing opportunity gaps for those same folks we’ve been supporting for all these years,” said Jessie-Black. “The community is instrumental in doing that, and what’s exciting about this is that the brand actually reflects that.”

The thrift shop had PTA in its title for many years because a portion of its profits went to individual PTAs in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system. In June 2018, however, the CHCCS PTA council requested the thrift shop no longer carry its title because of decreased amounts of money being given to the system’s PTAs. The request came after the thrift shop had begun expanding its mission to build and help other youth-focused non-profits.

At the ceremony, President and CEO of The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro Aaron Nelson commended Jessie-Black and the thrift shop’s board for their professionalism during a period they were “mistreated by some members of the community.” He pointed to the group’s recent efforts under their expanded mission, saying they make a significant difference and set an example within Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

“I want to say thank you,” said Nelson, “for the millions of dollars you’ve given to schools and invested in this community, the free clothing you’ve given to children of our schools, the living wages you’ve paid your employees, the investment you’ve made downtown, and [your choice] to not let this organization die. You’ve created something that, for the next 60 years, will be successful.”

Jessie-Black said the last year had been difficult for her, the thrift shop, and its fans in the community. But she said she’s excited about the change, believing it helps clarify and redefine how the non-profit can serve.

“Change can be challenging and not everyone is amenable to change when it happens,” she said. “But I think over a period, people realize change is necessary. For an organization to continue like we have over the next 60 or 70 years, you have to pivot a little bit to do things the community requires.”

The finishing touch of CommunityWorx’s rebranding was the launch of their updated website. On it, visitors can find ways to donate and volunteer, as well as different programs partnering with the thrift shop.

Jessie-Black said when coming up with the redesign, the non-profit chose to feature those who work at the two shop locations. The website gives them a platform to share their stories and how the thrift shop has helped them.

“This is one of the first times we’ve actually highlighted our middle-managers, who are the folks you see when you go into the stores,” said Jessie-Black. “We have them front and center because we want people to realize who makes up this community and how the community works.”

You can visit the new CommunityWorx website here.

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