(image: CHS)
Lifelong, the Seattle nonprofit dedicated to helping those living with HIV, is shutting down its thrift division. A change on Broadway is coming but the old Lifelong Thrift Shop looks like it is being set for some vintage recycling with a new thrift entity lined up for the space.
The nonprofit said it is closing its thrift division in a Monday announcement. “We hope to carry on in the same space with a new name, unaffiliated with Lifelong and will be sharing details online and in our windows as they are finalized,” the announcement reads. UPDATE: Lifelong said it pulled down the announcement to update some information included in the post and will be making a new announcement soon.
Details on the timing of the change have not yet been announced. The Broadway store was Lifelong’s only retail location.
Business license filings show a new entity lined up for the 312 Broadway E address. The new thrift shop project includes current Lifelong Thrift director Tamara Asakawa, according to the filing.
UPDATE: Lifelong CEO Erica Sessle tells CHS the decision to move on from the store comes as the ten-year lease for the space was coming up and Lifelong’s leadership is making concerted efforts to focus the nonprofit on its core services as it prepares to weather a more uncertain future under the new administration. Shuttering the underperforming store will help Lifelong as it expands its kitchen and meal services with a new space in the Georgetown Yards that will double the size of its operations.
“We’re hoping we’re going to be able to feed more people,” Sessle said.
Lifelong Thrift opened in the space in early 2015. Prior to that, the store was part of the Red Light Vintage family. The new Lifelong Thrift combined the spaces left empty by the departure of the much-loved Red Light and its sibling boutique. At 12,500 square feet and two levels, it was almost three times the size of the thrift’s former E Union location.
Capitol Hill vintage, meanwhile, remains an important part of the neighborhood’s retail mix. Though the Capitol Hill Value Village was long ago torn down to make way for an 11th Ave office space development, vintage shops large and small continue to do the area including the Late Night Vintage Market that landed on E Pike in 2022. The Capitol Hill Goodwill remains active on Belmont Ave despite mixed-use plans that now span back five years.
We’ll know more about the new shop’s plans for Broadway soon but Lifelong is hoping for a smooth transition for customers and employees.
Learn more at lifelong.org.
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Did they delete the announcement? I couldn’t view it using the link in the article.
Does anyone know if Lifelong is OK. They’ve been cutting back services to clients the last year. Bailey Boushay took over their housing assistance programs and food delivery has been reduced to every other week for some clients.
Based on the quotes from the update, it sounds like they could be doing better, and that their shuttering this store is in attempt to reshuffle resources.
Darn! I love the Lifelong Thrift store! Great prices and good cause. I will miss it for sure.
Good news is the new team includes current director, Tamara, who has done a fantastic job for 10 years and through multiple transitions
I hope the new crew keeps up with the window displays. I take my kids by to see each new display there. They’ve had some incredible setups!
Their offerings had been in decline for years. Back when they were on Union and under another manager it was better as they didn’t allow the employees to pick out the best things for themselves. The manager(s) they’ve had since right before the move seemed to be ok with it. So, with the best items skimmed then of course you won’t make as much.
I dunno, I feel like I have pretty great luck every time I go, and I’ve been going since they opened in the new spot (and frequented the old location, too). Haven’t noticed any major changes over time.