Statement on Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage Resale Shop in Westmont

Due to severe financial constraints, the decision has been made to permanently close the Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage (FSSD) Resale Shop located in Westmont, Ill., effective October 30, 2020.

This was a difficult decision to make, but necessary to do at this time as the store’s lease ends in October. The Westmont store has not been able to generate enough sales to cover its operations for a number of years. Concentrated efforts have been made during that time to improve its financial status, but they have not enabled the store to generate and sustain required funding.

In addition, the pandemic has compounded these challenges, necessitating that we lay off staff from all three of MFSD’s resale shop in May 2020. That said, recently we were able to rehire several employees for our MFSD Resale Shop in Naperville and Treasure House Glen Ellyn, which reopened following pandemic-related closures. We believe that focusing our attention on growing our volunteer base, our donor base and the amount of merchandise that our donors provide in two stores, rather than three, will help us to improve our profit margin and our net donations back to programming at MFSD.

Family Shelter Service opened the Westmont store in 2007. The store generated net profit to help fund domestic violence programs for Family Shelter Service. When it came time to open the Naperville store, Westmont served as a training ground for the new staff and volunteers that launched the Naperville shop.

We truly thank all of you who have supported our Westmont Resale Shop over the years and how that support has benefited our clients and the greater community. Meanwhile, we also greatly appreciate your support for our Naperville and Glen Ellyn Resale Shops and ask that you, as staff, donors, customers and community members, continue to support them as well as the comprehensive continuum of domestic violence and other services that we provide for DuPage County. Together, we will continue to fulfill our mission of offering help and hope to those affected by domestic violence, mental illness, unemployment and other issues.

– Nicole (Nikki) Cameron
Executive Director,
Metropolitan Family Services DuPage