Treasure Hunters Boutique offers good excuse to shop

OPEN FOR BUSINESS—Simi resident Wayne Press, above, gets shopping assistance from Karen Troop, and Mayor Paul Miller, at right, checks out the men’s selection during the opening of the Treasure Hunters Boutique in the Simi Valley Town Center on Sunday. All proceeds from the store will go toward the Alliance for Human Services program, which is focused on creating a facility to house all the city’s family services under one roof. The Treasure Hunters Boutique, a unique store with a mission, officially opened last Sunday at Simi Valley Town Center.

The store is not only an inviting place to shop, it’s also a fundraiser for Simi Valley Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that donates to causes across the city.

Profits from the store will go toward the foundation’s plan to house various community charities in a central building.

“Our long-term goal is to open a facility in Simi Valley to serve our community with all the health service departments under one roof,” said Karen Troop, vicechair of the community foundation. “Right now people have to go all over town to get those services, and many people don’t have cars.”

Troop volunteered to organize the fundraising boutique while working full-time as a real estate agent with Troop Real Estate. She and other volunteers have already put in hundreds of hours collecting and sorting the items for sale at the store.

“We hope to raise $100,000 in yearly sales,” Troop said. “The income from the boutique will also offset the expenses for the charities or give them emergency money that they might need.”

Foundation members are interviewing nonprofits that might benefit from office space in the facility. Groups under consideration are the American Cancer Society, Care and Share and the Simi Valley Free Clinic. Move-in is planned for 2012.

The store mostly carries gently used women’s and men’s clothing. Some items are new and some have designer labels. There are handbags, shoes, gift items and home accessories, but no children’s clothing.

“Everyone is going to get themselves a really good deal because the prices are incredible and all the funds go to the community foundation,” said Shari Schultz, the store manager.

Schultz is a Chamber of Commerce board member and runs her own event-planning business when she’s not volunteering at the store.

The Treasure Hunters Boutique is at the west end of the mall near Macy’s. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The boutique has approval to stay in the location only until the end of January, so the foundation is in search of permanent location for the store.

Gigi Finn, who recently moved to Simi, dropped by Treasure Hunters on opening day. Finn is an actor who works mainly as an extra in motion pictures.

“I always need different styles of clothes to wear in the films. Instead of spending a lot of money, I can find things at a good price here,” she said. “As far as my own wardrobe goes, they have a nice array of clothing.”

The community foundation was founded three years ago under the auspices of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Now its own entity, the foundation still works closely with Chamber members.

Volunteers started collecting clothes and other items six months ago. They use donated space in two warehouses to store the items destined for sale at the boutique.

“So many people have donated their time and services,” Troop said. “The community has been behind this effort 1,000 percent.”

The public can drop off gently used clothing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at 67 W. Easy St., unit 131. Continuous clothing donations and an ongoing volunteer force are necessary for the fundraiser’s success. It takes 20 volunteers a week to run the store, and warehouse helpers are also needed.

“This is a volunteer-driven project,” Troop said. “We want to encourage people to jump on board because our ultimate goal helps everyone in our community.”

Volunteers may call (805) 5222572 or (805) 526-3900.