Add this to the unsettling economic news Arlington public school parents have received recently: The PTO Thrift Shop, which has provided more than $120,000 for the public schools since the shop opened in 2004, may close by summer.

According to an e-mail posted March 6 on the Think of Our Kids list, those who run the thrift shop, in the basement of the Fox Library, wrote the following to PTO officers, OPAC coordinators and Friends of AHS coordinators, dated March 5:

"It is with real regret that we announce that the PTO Thrift Shop will be closing its doors at the end of this school year. As the demands of running the shop have continued to increase, so too have the needs of the families of the shop’s core volunteers.
 
"The shop will remain open through mid-June. An announcement will appear in the Arlington Advocate in mid-April letting the community know that the shop will accept donations through mid-May.
 
"Over four years, the shop has become a network of hundreds of people doing what they enjoyed – be it volunteering their time for a worthy cause, donating their used things, or shopping for bargains – and in the process creating not only financial support for the schools, but a community gathering place as well. We are deeply grateful for the support and involvement of all those who made it possible.
 
"We are happy to speak with any of you to answer questions you may have. Please contact us by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it "

Signing the announcement were Sara Billingsley, Judy Hoer and Mary Ellen De Natale.

Judy Hoer responded to various lists March 7:

"As one of the 'core volunteers' at the PTO Thrift Shop, I would like to respond to questions raised about the closing of the shop.

"Just for the record, there is no back story to this, and we are not being 'shut down.' Those of us who spend 30 to 40 hours a week managing this fast-paced, high-volume operation have decided to close for a simple reason: we need to redirect our time and energy to our families.

"Transferring the shop to a new generation of core volunteers may sound reasonable. In fact, recruiting and training a new core group is itself an enormous task, one that, on top of the day-to-day demands of running the shop, is not within our capacity to accomplish.

"Several people have suggested that if volunteers were paid, the shop could stay open. As Betsy Schwartz pointed out on the Arlington list, doing so would seriously cut into the shop's profits, AND realistically, volunteers could not be paid enough to make it worthwhile.

"If there are people who think they would be interested in starting up a similar venture, we are certainly available to offer advice. We would urge such people to first spend a week working alongside us at the Thrift Shop to get a feel for the commitment of time and energy that it requires. In any case, if you are interested in doing this, we would be happy to talk to you."

In response to the possible closing, School Committee member wrote March 10 to the TOOK list:

 "Yes, everyone is busy. BUT this is something you can do that will DIRECTLY send significant amounts of money to all our 9 schools (the Shop has been doing this for 4 years already-periodic $1,000 checks).

"I am paraphrasing the announcement that went out recently, in hopes that this will reach the right group of people- someone to step up to the plate at least for a transition year.

"Thank you for considering."

Sheffler updated that e-mail list on March 11:

"First, many thanks to all who are reaching out to help. After speaking to members of the group that is currently running the Thrift Shop, and to a representative of the committee that is charged with the next step, I must pass on the following information.

"The core point is that a NEW entity will be needed, and that it will take some folkes with considerable time and dedication to set that up."

Mora Rothenberg reported March 26:

"The PTO Thrift Shop reopens today, Wednesday, March 26, after a week's vacation.  During the break, shopkeepers have added hundreds of pieces of spring clothing to the racks, plus a new collection of linens, needlecrafts, costumes and dress-up clothes.

"As always, the shop is looking for donations of packing and tissue paper."

The shop is on the lower level of the Fox Branch Library, 175 Mass. Ave. (entrance on Cleveland Street), East Arlington.

Regular hours are Wednesdays, 4 to 8 p.m.; Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and the second Saturday of each month, 12:30 to 5 p.m.

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