Secondhand store supports nonprofit, builds community

Located at 1589 Laurel St., the shop collects donations and sells most items at extremely affordable prices, with an average price tag around $5, and all proceeds donated to PFS since 1968. 

What started as just a garage sale has continuously gained traction from the community with the increasing trend to buy secondhand, said Trudy Somrak, interim president of The Family Tree. 

“Everyone wants to recycle, reinvent things and is into vintage, so we’re really kind of at the right time to have something like this still,” Somrak said. 

Though the shop’s revenue provides consistent financial support to the larger nonprofit, the hyper-local work is what is really valuable about the auxiliary, PFS CEO Heather Cleary said. 

“San Carlos is stronger because the Tree exists,” she said. “It not only serves clients and customers, people wanting to purchase things, but it serves this whole volunteer community. People can reduce social isolation, there’s less loneliness in the community, there’s a sense of belonging.”

After volunteering with the organization for nearly 40 years, Somrak has seen generations pass through as volunteers. As a community-oriented organization, she said working in the shop gives the volunteers — the majority of whom are retirees — a sense of purpose. 

“Because you retire, doesn’t mean that you’re not of further use to your community and that you can’t have further growth, whether it be friendship or learning something new,” Somrak said. 

The shop recently began allowing payments by card, which has substantially increased revenue, but some volunteers were initially uncomfortable using the machine. Embracing an opportunity for learning, some volunteers organized training classes to get everyone comfortable with the technology. 

For Belmont resident Bonnie Ferrai, who helps price clothing items, volunteering was something she grew up watching her mother do and has been a vital part of her life. Not only can she serve her community, but she has built friendships over shared stories about grandkids and common interests with her fellow volunteers. 

“It’s very gratifying for me,” Ferrari said. ‘Sometimes I feel like I’m getting too much out of it, but I know that I’m giving back. I look forward to it, this is like my family.” 

Since its inception in 1968, the auxiliary nonprofit has contributed almost $2 million to PFS, Somrak said. For this second quarter’s donation, The Family Tree gave $25,000, the highest ever donated for this time period.

“The funds from the resale shop are unrestricted donations, so they support us as we invest in our community,” Cleary said. “They support our back office functions, they support our ingenuity, our research and development, how we can do what we’re doing better, for more people, and get better results.”

As one of the longest-standing volunteers still with the organization, store manager Deborah Beall said the shop is always looking for more help from all ages. 

“Not only are we helping others, but we’re helping a lot of little old ladies, which we are now, we are helping women who want to feel useful,” Beall said. “They can come in and work the shop and they feel like they’re vital. Now we have to find the next generation.” 

The shop is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Donations can be made by appointment from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

ana@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106