Arcadia Welfare and Thrift celebrates 80 years, Oct 4 Open House

Arcadia Welfare and Thrift celebrates 80 years of serving the community.
Open House, October 4 5 -7pm

By Terry Totten, Board of Directors

If you can use your imagination, go with me back to the 1930s.
Arcadia was not a community of homes like today, but a place of open spaces dotted with small farms, chicken ranches, some small businesses, a few schools and a population of around 5,000 people.

This was before the race track, the Arboretum, Westfield Shopping mall and all the other places we are so familiar with.

It was a trying time for the United States, known as the great depression. Unemployment reached 25 percent, some people lost everything, couldn’t feed their families, or supply their most basic needs. There was a huge migration west as families who were caught up in the dust bowl, sought out a better life and many came to California.

The 1930s was a challenging time, but in challenging times there are those who will rise up and do what they can to relieve suffering. A few community people in Arcadia seeing the needs of the poor, and especially school children decided to do something about it.

Arcadia Welfare and Thrift Shop has it’s beginnings during these times. The Arcadia PTA was formed in 1931 and a member of the Holly Ave PTA saw that children were coming to school without shoes. Her name was Alrena Ellison and she organized a shoe drive. The community response was so great that a surplus of clothing and shoes were received and the idea of using this surplus for future needs resulted in the formation of the Thrift Store.

From the start, the purpose of Arcadia Welfare and Thrift Shop was to provide food and clothing for families in Arcadia hard hit by the depression. The Thrift Shop was located down the street from the current location and it operated on a shoe string for many years. It was chartered as a non-profit in 1948.

At the same time that the Thrift Store was being organized in 1932, the principal at Holly Ave saw an opportunity to help families in need of food at her school and organized the teachers to bring flour, sugar and other staples to give out at Christmas time. From then on it has been a Arcadia Welfare and Thrift tradition to give gifts to families in need at Christmas time. For the past 80 years, in December, the White Christmas project brings together churches, PTAs, organizations, service clubs and private citizens and sets a day in December to presents gifts, and food vouchers to our families. Last year we served over 200 families.

Our welfare department, helps clients 5 days a week 9 am to 12pm. We assist with food, clothing, household items, and financial assistance in emergency situations. Many of our clients are homeless.

As I researched our history, my question became, how has this organization lasted for 80 years? Many things have changed over the years, organizations have come and gone, people likewise. Our city has changed radically, but some things have remained the same, at least two that I want to highlight.

The first is: There are still the poor living among us. They may not be so apparent to the average person. Poverty is more hidden in a city like Arcadia but there are still families who struggle putting food on the table, paying their rent and utilities, gas, buying clothes and the second thing is that there are still those who believe they can do something about it.

Over the 8 decades of our organization’s life, Arcadia citizens have stepped up to the plate, if you will and have provided leadership that still believes the best kind of help is one neighbor helping another. As neighbors the best way to help is to donate good quality items and to come and shop in the store. Our inventory is refreshed each day with new useful items and treasures. We are located at 323 N. First Ave., Arcadia

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