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This January, the Philadelphia AIDS
Thrift (PAT) store exceeded $500,000 in donations since its founding in 2005.
Three recent donations helped the shop reach the milestone—its monthly $15,000
to the AIDS Fund, plus $10,000 each to the Feast Incarnate Homeless Program in
West Philadelphia and the Mazzoni Center’s annual coat and gift drive.
The AIDS Fund makes use of PAT’s
monthly donations to distribute money to 30 area HIV/AIDS service
organizations.
Manager and PAT co-founder Christina
Kallas-Saritsoglou attributed the milestone to shoppers, donors, and
volunteers. The PAT store started with just a few helpers, including
co-founders Mike Wilson, Peter Heiler, and Tom Brennan, and now has 100
volunteers.
Approximately 18 months ago, PAT
moved to a new location on South Fifth Street, which proved to be a surprising
success. Kallas-Saritsoglou declared, “It was the biggest shock ever. At the
old space, we were giving away $8,000 monthly, and now we are giving away
$15,000 monthly in the new location. The new location is right around the
corner from the old one. But so many people who didn’t know we existed now do.”
PAT hosted a variety of sales from January 25 to 27 to celebrate its latest
milestone. The store offered 50 percent off for different items each day and
provided free food throughout the weekend.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
