A Spare Moment to Write About SPARE
Greetings! Occupied with all things SPARE, I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down and offer an update on recent developments. Let’s remedy that right this moment!
Barring any unforeseen snags, we’re very close to signing a lease for s storefront in San Anselmo. As a way to immerse and involve my children in the running of the shop, we had hoped to be closer to our kids’ schools. Unfortunately the rents in Larkspur and Corte Madera were cost-prohibitive. That said, the space in San Anselmo checks nearly all of the key checkboxes in making SPARE a success: visibility, square footage, an invested and supportive landlord, a bright space with high ceilings and, most importantly, a good price that works for our budget,. Best of all, I’ve got two traditional shop windows that, with the shop’s prime location and fairly captive audience, are an incredibly showcasing opportunity.
The affordability of this space has enabled us to lower the fundraising goal from $42,000 to $18,000. This money will be used to for the first three months of rent and utilities, insurance and admin costs to operate safely and legally, marketing and outreach, and the systems and tools need to be an operational retail shop.
Along with this funding adjustment, we have added “Thank You” incentives to donation tiers. You can check it out over here.
The donated materials continue to come in! In fact, we needed to upgrade our 5’x10’ storage unit to an 8’x15’ space. It’s filling up very quickly. Thank you so much to all the generous donors! I have loved meeting everyone and talking about the future of SPARE. I even have some repeat donors now, which makes it feel like a real community is forming.
We had a booth at the Corte Madera/Larkspur Art and Craft Fair on the Fourth of July. I brought and displayed the kinds of items we’ll be accepting and selling at the shop. About 95% of what I showed was made up of actual donations we’ve received since May. It seemed like nearly everyone who stopped by had something they’ve been looking to donate—and were relieved to finally find a place that wants it.
I’ve also brought on some great advisors and board members, and I hope to have a page up soon with a bit about who they are and why they wanted to be part of SPARE.
Lately I’ve been hunting for shop fixtures on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Channeling the SPARE mission means yes, I will brake for free furniture. Surprisingly, but also not surprisingly give our throwaway culture , the older and nicer the piece, the cheaper it seems—sometimes even free. I’m not kidding: a used IKEA bookcase often costs more than a pristine 120-year-old hutch made from now-extinct wood. Luckily, my husband’s a skilled woodworker who can do more than just repairs—he can build entire cabinets and display cases from scratch. We’re on the hunt for a local shop that could offer the wood for a discounted nonprofit-friendly price.
I’m continuing to volunteer at The Legacy — my latest major contribution being our Fourth of July window celebrating the America that welcomed our Ellis Island and Castle Garden immigrants. The Legacy has been an incredible source of both knowledge and supplies—and a few of their longtime volunteers have even offered to make the drive down to help out at SPARE, which means a lot.
SPARE’s mission is still centered on being an affordable, sustainable resource for the community—and a creative hub. I’m brainstorming how we might host informal crafting groups or workshops, especially for kids and teens who might just need a place to put down their phones and make something. I’ve also realized how important it is to make SPARE a place where older adults can share skills and feel a sense of ownership and purpose—something The Legacy does really well and something I want to carry forward.
Finally, I have made some updates to the sparecrafts.org. I’ve created a blog (you are here, right now) to document some of my thoughts about SPARE as well as updates on our progress. Additionally, our goal to fundraise for the opening and running of the shop for its first three months has been decreased from $42,000 to $28,000. That’s what happens when you find a great space for a great price! Along with this funding adjustment, we have added “Thank You” incentives to donation tiers. You can check it out over here.
That’s it as of July 9th, 2025!
Thank you again for following and being invested in our progress!
