PTA Thrift shop celebrates 60 years of service

Crayton Wanders of Carrboro (right) checks out some mugs and cards with Katherine Sanford of Graham. Graham has worked at PTA for about 4 years. She said that they celebrated the 60th birthday at Top of the Hill last Saturday. She siaid it was "wonderful good, great fellowship." Wanders says that since coming to the area from Winston-Salem, he comes to PTA 4 or 5 times per week, sometimes more. Although he comes for the deals, he said "it's nice to think I'm supporting the schools." He said "it's a good store, a great store." The PTA Thrift store in Carrboro benefits area schools. It is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

For 60 years, the PTA Thrift Shop has done more than sell books and clothing to local residents.

The Carrboro-based shop has also served as a much needed form of funding for local districts — donating more than $2.4 million to Chapel Hill-Carrboro Parent Teacher Associations since 2003.

The store, which celebrated its 60th birthday last Saturday, funds various extracurricular programs and supplemental classroom costs through each school’s PTA.

“The money is used for student enrichment. … A lot of the schools use our funds for families in need,” said Barbara Jessie-Black, the shop’s executive director.

“I think the community has gotten behind us pretty robustly in the past 60 years.”

The shop’s two locations — in Chapel Hill and Carrboro — together donated about $265,000 to 17 district schools and one charter school in 2011.

The amounts given to each school vary based on school enrollment and volunteer hours, Jessie-Black said.

Carrboro Elementary PTA Member Robin Hathorn, who recruits parents to volunteer at the thrift shop, said the thrift shop donations accounts for about one-third of the school’s fundraising efforts every year.

“It’s a fantastic way for schools to get money without having to sell door-to-door,” she said.

While the thrift shop was founded to help fund art programs, Jessie-Black said its purpose has expanded to fund field trips and sports teams, add classroom equipment, and finance school events.

Hathorn said teachers also use the thrift shop to buy books for the classroom or costumes for school plays.

“It does a lot more for the community than being a place where people can go and shop,” she said.

The store, which sells clothes, books, electronics and other donated merchandise, also contributes to the community by supporting local charities.

Jessie-Black said the shop donated clothes to about 1,200 families in need last year.

They also partner with other non-profit and social service organizations.

Friendship Used Clothing Collection has worked with the PTA Thrift Shop for about nine years and receives unsold donations from the shop, which it sends to impoverished nations to keep them out of landfills.

Friendship Used Clothing Collection owner David Greenfield said he recently made a $15,000 donation to support the shop’s renovation project.

“I support them 110 percent … I’m impressed with what they do,” Greenfield said.

The Carrboro store is looking to expand from its current 12,000-square-foot building to a 27,000-square-foot area that would also lease space for various school district activities.

Jessie-Black said they hope to start construction by mid-year and be completed by the end of 2012, though they are still in the town approval process.

“(The current building) is just not really made up for a great shopping experience,” Hathorn said.

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