CLAREMONT — In Maureen Spilsbury’s year of volunteering at Changes Boutique & Thrift she’s enjoyed a lot about the experience, from working the register to sorting through donated clothes.

But her favorite part, by far, is talking to people who support the Claremont store’s mission of funding programs at Turning Points Network, a nonprofit organization — also known as TPN — that supports survivors of domestic violence.

“I have broken down in tears because a customer is buying something and they’ve told me the organization has helped them years ago and they just want to give back,” Spilsbury, of Charlestown, said in a phone interview as she prepared to open Changes Wednesday. “The customers are very generous: they’ll say, ‘Keep the change and give it to the organization.’ ”

Come next week, however, Spilsbury’s weekly shifts will come to an end — at least temporarily. Changes will close as TPN’s leaders work to secure a new location after spending nearly 30 years at 55 Pleasant St. An inventory reduction sale will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Customers can fill a small bag for $2.50 or $10 for a large bag.

In the last few years, the store has struggled to be profitable and is currently not generating enough revenue to cover its $1,300 monthly rent, Executive Director Pascale Graham said.

“If we’re not making revenue off the store. It’s not supporting our services,” Graham said in a phone interview. “It is our hope to reopen as we investigate options elsewhere.”

She added that the goal is to stay in the vicinity of downtown Claremont: While she has potentially found a new location, it needs to be renovated. Graham declined to say where the proposed new location is, adding that she hopes to have more information to share later in the winter.

“Claremont is the largest population in our county and most people drive to Claremont for their shopping,” Graham said.

The Sullivan County city has about 13,000 residents, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Claremont Mayor Dale Girard called Changes “an invaluable resource” to Claremont and said it would be missed. He noted that thrift stores promote sustainability and provide residents with more affordable shopping options.

“Beyond that, thrift stores often support local nonprofits, as Changes Boutique did, by reinvesting proceeds into services that benefit the community directly,” Girard wrote in an email.

Changes’ challenges began during the COVID-19 pandemic when the store — which primarily sells clothing — was forced to shutter in mid-March of 2020. It had just reopened a few weeks before after undergoing renovations, which included a “boutique” section of the store that featured higher priced items such as donated Prada shoes and Coach purses.

When COVID restrictions eased and the store could reopen once again, it was a struggle to bring back customers.

“Then, unfortunately, we were hit by the other whammy which was the revamping of Pleasant Street,” Graham said about a construction project that took place in 2021 and 2022, which turned the roadway into a one-way street. “That really hurt our business … it was just a byproduct of that work. We just haven’t been able to recover.”

After the construction project concluded, parking was reconfigured and customers struggled to adjust, said Deb Mozden, who led TPN from 1983 until her retirement in 2023. While the regulars still came in, the foot traffic that brought people through Changes’ doors declined.

“For a lot of people it had to be a good opportunity. It had to be easy enough to get there,” Mozden said. There were spots in front of the store and a city-owned lot in the back, but those were often filled. “To park a half a mile away and walk there it became an hour activity versus a 15-minute activity. A lot of people couldn’t do that.”

Girard disputes that parking has become worse since Pleasant Street was redone.

“While parking concerns are often mentioned, the Pleasant Street Road Project only reduced a small number of on-street parking spaces,” Girard wrote, adding that there are municipal parking spaces available near the store. “The additional spaces are much closer than many folks will park when they shop at one of the box stores with large parking lots. From my own visits to Pleasant Street, I’ve rarely encountered a time when parking wasn’t available.”

In spite of the challenges, staff tried a number of ways to revive the store: They switched to a flat pricing system instead of pricing items individually.

After Changes’ full-time manager left in early 2024, TPN decided to transition Changes to a volunteer-run store to save money. That, however, resulted in a reduction of hours: Instead of operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the hours shifted to 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

“We wish we could be open longer hours if we had more volunteers,” said Spilsbury, who is one of a handful of volunteers who work in pairs to operate the store. “We would love to be open to the public for the entire day.”

While the thrift store is supposed to support TPN’s programs, staff and volunteers also see it as a community service, providing low-cost clothing options: Children’s clothes cost $2, women’s tops and men’s shirts are $5; and pants are $7. Professional suit jackets and dresses can be purchased for $8.

If a community member needs clothes but can’t afford to purchase them, TPN gives them vouchers — something the organization has done since it was founded almost 40 years ago.

Sometimes, too, Changes was a way for domestic violence survivors to learn about TPN’s services, Mozden said.

“It was an opportunity just to take those steps until they became comfortable wanting to talk to staff person who did direct services,” she said. “It wasn’t the way a majority of people came to seek services at TPN … but it certainly made a difference for some.”

For more information about Changes Boutique and Thrift, email jen@turningpointsnework.org or call 603-543-0155. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.