Charity Sale Updates & Delayed Reopening
Posted by RODELLEE BAS
Bonjour friends! This isn't quite a Shopkeeper Pondering, but I wanted to update y'all on a couple of going ons behind the scenes of Adored Vintage including updates from our Q2 and Q3 charity sales and why we've delayed reopening our studio to the public.
CHARITY SALE
For a couple of years now we have been selling As-Is modern clothing and donating 100% of the profits towards a charity. We choose a new charity every quarter and this last quarter (July to October 2021) we decided to donate the proceeds from our As-Is Sales to One Tree Planted, where they plant a tree for every dollar donated!
In Q3, we were able to donate $259 to One Tree Planted meaning we were able to plant 259 trees! Thank you dear friends and kindred spirits for your purchase! All the kudos goes to you!
Because we adore the mission of One Tree Planted so much, we will also be donating our As-Is profits for Quarter 4 (October to December).
In Q2 we donated to Oxygen for India using profits from our As-Is Sales and also all the Made in India bandanas we sold for May and June. We were able to donate over $1100 to Oxygen for India in Q2!
DELAYED STUDIO REOPENING
Around end of July/August we were making plans (albeit a bit slowly) to reopen our atelier to the public but not simply as just a retail store. We were planning on doing a hybrid showroom/shop where you could craft bouquets and little apothecary potions for yourself.
The plan has been put on the back burner for now for a myriad of reasons. When we were thinking of reopening Oregon experienced another surge of Covid cases and stricter rules were enforced again for indoors including the requirement to again wear masks. Because our new concept involved quite a lot of sniffing essential oils and dried herbs and flowers, the reinstated mask mandate put a pin on that plan.
The biggest reason we won't be reopening anytime soon is quite honestly Portland, especially the area where our office is, has become a bit unsafe and our neighborhood has experienced multiple break-ins and robberies and not to mention daily displays of vandalism.
I hate to have to paint this ugly photo of my once beloved city, but I feel like Portland and I took a break and then we broke up and its bittersweet. I think it will be a long while before I feel those butterflies for Portland again. So many small business owners are exhausted and feeling so defeated trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy after an entire year of uncertainty already.
About two weeks ago there was a robbery at Urbanite where our retail shop is located. Several small shops inside Urbanite (including us) were burglarized. (The burglary made the news) That SAME week there was a break in (AGAIN) at our office building. I found out one of my suite neighbors was broken into for the TWELFTH time in a year! What the actual F?!?
Our building manager and owners are starting to take more drastic measures to secure the building. Some places have started to ask their landlords to put metal bars and gates across their windows. (One of our favorite eateries in Portland made it in the news too)
Long story short, we as a company do not have the bandwidth to do a studio/showroom right now and as the captain of the ship, I know when to shift the sails and go another route and say "We'll revisit that map when the wind feels right again". That's where we're at right now.
Thank you as always for being here! For supporting our small shop! As Maya Angelou has said:
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better."
Warmly,
Rodellee
Charlie On
Hi Rodellee & Adored Vintage Team,
I was so sad to read about all the robberies and troubles experienced by you & your beloved city of Portland.
I vacationed in Portland many years ago and fell in love with the area:the city had such a laid back friendly vibe.
Our country needs to heal from all the violence and the lack of trust and humanity we are going through.
I pray things will change for the better soon. I love your online site and reading your journals.
Stay strong and positive!
Namaste,
Charlie
☮️💕🧘