Someone's watching over Our Angels Attic non-profit
The coronavirus pandemic forced Our Angels Attic into a breaking point, causing it to close earlier this month, but some have stepped forward to save the nonprofit.
“We need contributions from people to stay open,” said Patti Bicehouse, Our Angels Attic leader.
Our Angels Attic works with individuals with disabilities and provides them with vocational training through a retail-like storefront where its members, along with volunteers, sell gently used clothing.
“Every penny goes back into the store. No one gets paid,” Bicehouse said. “Everyone is a volunteer.”
Bicehouse said the organization had a rough couple of months and was in the process of rebounding when the pandemic struck. She was in the process of announcing the nonprofit's closure when she was contacted by people who wanted to help.
Bicehouse confirmed that a GoFundMe page started by Sarah Ruff is legitimate. Ruff could not be reached for comment for the page titled “Our Angels Attic” that has raised $200 of its $1,500 goal.
Independent graphic designer Emily Wilson of Forestville dedicated one of her works to benefit the nonprofit.
“I enjoy the work that I do,” Wilson said. “I figured I could start a campaign in order to help somebody out.”
She said based on community input and a mutual connection to Butler County Community College, she picked Our Angels Attic. Wilson is a BC3 graduate, and Our Angels Attic has members from a number of local school districts and colleges, including BC3.
“I chose that place to work with because they do so much for the community on a regular basis,” she said. “Now it's the community's turn to help them.”
Wilson sells the shirts through Bonfire, a custom T-shirt company. The cost of the materials will be deducted, but proceeds will be set aside by Bonfire and sent to the nonprofit.The shirt features the slogan, “We are all in this together,” built into the missing portion of a dandelion flower with heart-shaped seeds just beginning to disburse.“I feel like at this time in need, I was seeing the world come together,” Wilson said. “I've seen a lot of positivity come out of this awful situation.”There's links to both fundraising efforts on Our Angels Attic's Facebook page.Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid Longo shared that page this week.Longo said he is glad people like Wilson and Ruff have stepped up for the nonprofit because he is a fan and supporter of Our Angels Attic and its mission.Longo said the people the organization supports gain valuable experience that could translate into employment, and helps them develop as members of society.“Maybe it's just getting them a sense of self-confidence and boosting their self-esteem,” Longo said. “You can't put a price tag on that.”Longo said he hopes more people will join efforts to save Our Angels Attic. He said he will do everything in his power to help.“It's my mission to help find Patti find a spot here in Slippery Rock, whether it's a storefront here in Downtown Slippery Rock or finding a way for her to work here in our community without a physical location,” he said.
Before the coronavirus struck, Bicehouse was working to expand the program and allow her clients to interact with community members. She was talking with a local artist to start community painting classes; working with a Pittsburgh theater group that would perform plays based on a book club reading list; and collaborating with a fraternity of SRU musicians who wanted to teach people in the community how to play an instrument.Bicehouse said the organization has so much potential, and she wants to see it reach those heights.“We're all being teachers and we're all learners. We're all working together to better our community and to better each other,” she said. “Once we get reopen again, we'll be ready to go.”
