The Community Shop

After much discussion and consideration, Pillars Community Health Board of Directors, with the advice of executive leadership, has made the decision not to reopen our Community Shop resale and donation center in downtown La Grange. The Shop’s purpose was to support Pillars Community Health’s nonprofit health and social services. Unfortunately, the Shop has not been profitable for several years and expenses continue to exceed revenue, as has been the case for so many other brick and mortar retail stores and resale shops across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated decision-making, as the costs we’d have to undertake to reopen the Shop, and likely decline in sales, would exacerbate the deficit financial position of the Shop. We understand that the Shop also filled a secondary purpose to raising money for our services—to provide a community resource for repurposing gently used furniture and household items—but we cannot continue to operate the shop at a financial loss. Click here to learn more about this decision.

The Community Shop has provided financial support to Pillars Community Health and its predecessor agencies since 1928. It was originally started as a “continuous rummage sale” by La Grange supporters. Countless volunteers and many staff members have given of their time, treasures, and talents over the years to make the Shop what it was. From polishing silver to sorting inventory to putting price tags on every piece of jewelry that came into the Shop, the work of our volunteers was essential to the Shop's operation. We are so thankful for those contributions and want to also thank every staff member, shopper, donor, and partner that has been part of the Shop's history.

Please note we are no longer accepting donated items of any kind and furniture pick-ups have ceased. We ask the community to respect the work that needs to be done to close out the Shop by NOT leaving items for our staff to discard (at our front door, in our alley, or anywhere else). Thank you in advance for your cooperation. The Hope Chest in La Grange, a separate nonprofit, is open and accepting donations of gently used women’s closing and accessories; all sales support Pillars Community Health’s domestic violence shelter Constance Morris House. Sharing Connections in Downers Grove has resumed furniture pick-ups and is also accepting furniture donations at their warehouse. In our experience so far, some Goodwills are open for donations but not all of them; call the individual store before taking items to them.

Plans are underway for inventory disposition. If you know of an organization or nonprofit that would be interested in purchasing our inventory in bulk, please call 708-PILLARS (708-745-5277) and ask for Phil Foust, SVP of Organizational Health.