Wednesday mornings are for watching clocks at ABHOW’s Valle Verde. Just before 10 a.m., residents and team members alike spring into action at the Santa Barbara, Calif., community, and hurriedly make their way to La Tienda. Maybe they’ve had their eye on something special at the campus thrift store, or maybe this time they’re just browsing. Either way, there’s a good chance they’ll find something wonderful – if they hurry.
“It’s exciting. You can’t wait to get over there and see what’s new since last time,” says Cindy Johnson, an account specialist in Valle Verde’s finance office. “I’ve found so many little treasures over the years. And that’s kind of what La Tienda is, our little gem.”
For more than 30 years, La Tienda has satisfied the community’s need for a little retail therapy by selling furniture, clothes and home decor. People come from around Santa Barbara to shop there, and though the volunteer-run store accepts donations from all over, most of the gently used goods come from the residents themselves.
“A lot of people, when they come to a retirement community, bring too much stuff,” says Dorothy Burkhart, store manager for four of the nine years she’s lived at Valle Verde. "If we have a lot of stuff, we make a lot of money.”
The store takes in about $600 in a typical week, but receipts can easily double that amount, Burkhart says. In fact, La Tienda sold about $1,400 in goods during the second week of June. The best part is that nearly every cent benefits Valle Verde residents.
La Tienda has raised nearly $800,000 since opening in 1980. The money has been used to purchase a new van for resident excursions, resurface an outdoor barbecue, and renovate the beauty parlor, among other things.
Residents are encouraged to propose new projects that might be funded by La Tienda.
The store doesn’t advertise because it doesn’t need to. To say business is brisk is an understatement. It’s hard to get in the door on some Wednesdays, the only day of the week the store is open.
“We have regulars and thrift store junkies,” Burkhart says. "And one of the really nice things is a lot of our residents can’t get out to shop, so they just buy all their furniture and clothes from us.”
For all the community improvements the store makes possible, everyone agrees its greatest good is in the social and sentimental bonds it helps forge between people.
Burkhart says she’s made friends, "from all over the city,” thanks to her association with the store. And for team members like Cindy Johnson and others who’ve purchased estate items at La Tienda, the opportunity to take home something that once belonged to a cherished friend and resident is priceless.
“I have a desk at home that belonged to a longtime resident who passed away, someone who was very special,” Johnson says. “When I see it, I always think of her.”
About ABHOW:
Founded in 1949, ABHOW is widely known for its pioneering leadership in senior housing and health care. The company serves more than 5,000 residents in 37 retirement communities in California, Arizona, Nevada and Washington.
To learn more about ABHOW visit www.abhow.com.
This article appeared in the July 2011 issue of ABHOW Words
