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Boomerangs thrift shop coming back, operated by a different non-profit
By adamg on Mon, 10/07/2024 - 12:12pm
More Than Words, a non-profit that helps teens learn to run a business, announced it plans to re-open the Central Square Boomerangs thrift shop by the end of the year.
The new store, Boomerangs by More Than Words, will provide customers with the same sense of community that existed for years at Boomerangs. This store will allow More Than Words the opportunity to expand its program that supports young adults in foster care, court, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Boomerangs, which at one time had several outlets, was run by the AIDS Action Committee and later Fenway Health, which closed its remaining stores earlier this year.
More than Words adds:
More Than Words is currently exploring the possibility of opening a store in Jamaica Plain where Boomerangs operated. Given More Than Words current bookstore location in the South End there are no plans to open a second store in that neighborhood.
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Comments
I had high hopes something would work out.
Boomerangs is too good to lose.
I hear they're a good organization
I hope people hole heartedly support them.
This is good news!
Now I know where we are going to bring some nice-if-superfluous mugs that we have in hopes they can find a new home.
It is too bad that there was such a lag between the businesses, I hope they are successful. (And in the long run, I would love to see more housing in Central… Boomerang with 100 housing units above it would be great.)
I haven't been to Central Square since 2008.
I thought the construction that was beginning back then was to create 100s of housing units in the square. What did they build instead @Ari O?
This is great news!
More Than Words is an amazing organization.
YESSS!
This is excellent news.
Glad they're reopening!
Glad they're reopening!
I hope the change in management brings a renewed focus on being nice to customers. Over the years, Boomerang's started to get more hostile, like removing the fitting rooms and refusing to let you check if the electronics were working.
No surprise here
Boomerangs normally come back.
Boomerangs in JP made Centre Street pleasant
When the poobahs (who are paid in the 6 figures each) decided to shutter Boomerangs they turned their back on community. Boomerangs was a vital part of Centre Street. Heck it made Centre Street feel like a real place, instead of a strip mall of banks, realtors and insurance brokers.
Fenway Health shamed itself by turning its back on JP.
It would be a boon to JP if Boomerangs reopened. They were a used book store, a store selling the most interesting objects, ranging from fancy kaleidoscopes to rare albums. The windows were fascinating. The store provided style and panache that made Centre Street more than just a dull series of paper pushing services.
The issue
Thats your answer right there. Fenway Health.
I've been a gay in boston long enough to watch Fenway Health grow from "Fenway Community Health Center" with tiny facilities and a caring staff to "Fenway Health", a large facility who's management only cares about money.
No surprise they cut Boomerangs, it wasn't making enough profit (for AAC) and FH, like all health orgs, is cutting costs. So it had to go.
When bean counters and 'costs savings' are involved, these companies never include the 'costs' of the community when they stop doing something because things like that aren't able to be included on a balance sheet.
The Dollar drives just about everything people do now. Its disgusting. Its never about "doing good" or "good for the community".. its about "how much will this cost" "how much money can I make doing this" and "when it doesn't turn a profit, away it goes, who cares about the people it effects. We have money to make here".
Every day I am closer and closer to buying a house in the wilderness and staying there and away from people. Getting more and more disgusted at society each and every day.
I despise Fenway Health.
I despise Fenway Health.
Company
You are in good company. Big same over here.
Same
Well, sad and disgusted, I guess. I went there because they were queer-friendly at a time when that was not expected, and I did deal with some good providers, but it seemed to me that they were really mostly interested in being known as a place that did clinical trials for AIDS treatments. I can't complain at the priorities, but I think it impaired their ability to function as a community health center. And there really weren't good queer-friendly alternatives at the time.