Charities Find New Homes

— Two charitable organizations displaced by the closing of City Hospital have found new homes.

At A Glance

Moving Days

The Attic thrift store moves down the street Saturday, and the Cooperative Emergency Outreach will stay in the building north of City Hospital until June.

Source: Staff Report

The Attic thrift store will move to 1310 S. School Ave. on Saturday, and the Cooperative Emergency Outreach will move to 1649 Huntsville Road on June 30.

Both charities were given notice to vacate when the hospital closed in September.

The thrift store operated for more than 15 years out of a storefront on the building’s lower level at 221 S. School Ave.

Lila Campbell, store manager, said sales of donated clothes and appliances went to the hospital and nursing scholarships for employees.

“We will be serving the part of town that most of our customers live in,” she said. “That was what we hoped to do.”

Campbell said the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will provide a trailer and 30 workers sentenced to community service to help move.

She said the thrift shop, which is run by volunteers, will continue to raise money for nursing scholarships and nonprofit organizations that serve senior health needs. Recently, the group donated money to the Willard Walker Hospice Home.

“I think it’s important for people to know that we don’t go door to door,” Campbell said. “We rely on the donations of this town. Every dime is turned back into the city of Fayetteville or the surrounding area. It doesn’t go any further than that.”

Joe Dushan, president of Cooperative Emergency Outreach, said the organization finalized the purchase of a building Wednesday.

Dushan said the organization is kicking off a $300,000 capital campaign to help pay for the building and a 1,000-square-foot addition.

Cooperative Emergency Outreach will remain at 419 W. Rock St. in a building just north of the hospital until June 30 while the renovation is under way.

“For the past 17 years, Washington Regional has allowed us to operate from this building rent-free and utilities paid,” he said. “In their continued generosity, they will allow us to continue in this facility, and we’ll pay for utilities.”

Cooperative Emergency Outreach uses donations from churches, individuals and businesses to provide food and clothing and to help pay for rent, utilities, prescriptions and gasoline for people in need.

During the past four years, Dushan said the group provided about $180,000 annually. The organization had about 170 volunteers who devoted more than 6,000 hours of service last year.

Upcoming Events