By Crissy Pascual

When Sacks Hospice Thrift Shoppe suddenly closed in May, many staff members, volunteers, and customers of the long-running shop were left wondering what would come next for the building it had occupied since 2008.

Petaluma Voice has now learned that another thrift store will take its place at 128 Liberty St. The Petaluma Educational Foundation will move its Alphabet Soup clothing thrift store, currently located nearby at 217 Western Ave., to the former Sacks location in the next few months, according to the foundation’s executive director, Maureen Highland. 

The nonprofit also operates the Alphabet Soup @ Home thrift shop, currently located just down the block at 203 Western Ave. It had been evaluating options for both stores in anticipation of their existing leases expiring within the next 24 months, Highland said. She acknowledged that the sudden availability of 128 Liberty St. created an unexpected opportunity to secure a long-term presence downtown. 

“What a special community we live in to be able to reenergize that building and keep funds within our community,” Highland said. The new arrangement will allow Alphabet Soup to consolidate its donation-processing operations and staff offices together with the clothing store in a single space.

All staff will retain their current positions, and Highland encourages anyone who is interested in volunteering to join Alphabet Soup’s roster of 60 volunteers. 

The Petaluma Educational Foundation is in the early stages of planning for the transition, but does not expect an interruption of service, Highland said. Under the anticipated relocation and expansion, much of the Alphabet Soup @ Home store will move to the clothing store’s current location at the corner of Western Avenue and Liberty Street. 

The Alphabet Soup clothing store, which opened in 1994, has its origins in a garage sale held in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. Petaluma Educational Foundation assumed sole ownership of the store in 2009 and opened its second store, focused on home goods, in 2013. Both shops help fund the mission of the foundation, which supports all 35 of the TK-12 schools in Petaluma through grants and scholarships.

“Alphabet Soup is an important part of our community and an essential source of support for our educational mission,” said Highland. “We have been thoughtfully exploring options for the future of our stores, and this opportunity allows us to take a meaningful step forward. We look forward to building on Alphabet Soup’s success, strengthening its impact for local students and schools, and remaining part of Petaluma’s downtown shopping district.”

Crissy Pascual is a photojournalist and co-founder of Petaluma Voice. She can be reached at photos@petalumavoice.org.