People have been stealing from the Advocate's Attic in Hailey, and Gabriele Meadows, the operations manager at the nonprofit thrift store, is not happy about it.
"To us, it is extremely dreadful," Meadows said. "These people are stealing from women and children who have already been traumatized."
The Advocate's Attic is a thrift store that provides affordable clothing and household items. All of the proceeds from the Attic's sales go straight to the Advocates, a Hailey-based nonprofit organization that helps women and children who have suffered abuse and neglect by providing shelter, counseling and job training.
The Advocate's Attic is the only thrift store in the valley that accepts vouchers, giving people in need free clothing and other domestic necessities such as pots, pans and even beds.
Meadows believes that most of the theft takes place at night when the store is closed and no one is around. However, she said, last Saturday morning someone stole a pine armoire from the side of the building. People have also stolen beds and other types of furniture, she said.
"These are not all people in need, either," Meadows said.
Business owners with stores near the Attic have also witnessed thefts there. One witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said she saw a man in a pickup truck with a landscaping company sign on its side loading goods into the pickup bed.
Donations are a large part of the budget that makes the Advocates and the Advocate's Attic run. While the organization receives some monetary donations, the sale of donated items is considered essential.
"It is our bread and butter," Meadows said.
In response to the theft, Meadows has started to put up signs around the building asking people to place their donations in front of the Attic on its well-lit porch. She has also posted signs asking people not to steal, but every morning she returns to find that someone has removed the signs.
"I understand that the economy is bad and we are in a recession," Meadows said. "But the fact is that we are trying to help people. We provide affordable prices to our customers and if they can't afford it, we'll work something out. We would rather help people than to have them steal from us."
Meadows, along with members of the Advocates' board, have also spoken with the Hailey Police Department. While the Attic has received more attention, it is still not enough, Meadows said. No one can watch the shop 24/7 and many donations are still being dropped off in the alley, making it nearly impossible to see who is stealing.
The problem has gotten so bad that the Attic is planning to install a security camera in the front.
"I want to see who is doing this and I want them to know who they are stealing from," Meadows said. "I don't know how their conscience could allow them to do that. It's like stealing a Bible out of a church."
