School Resale Shop Must Move: New Location Needed for Dress Best For Less
DRESS BEST FOR LESS
Did you know that Dress Best for Less (DBFL), Piedmont’s own non-profit resale shop, is one of the largest donors to the Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) every year?
Dress Best For Less – 3861 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
For decades Piedmont schools have benefited from numerous volunteers and voluminous donations of clothes and resalable items for the thrift store on Piedmont Avenue adjacent to Commis Restaurant. The fund raising effort regularly donates to the Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF), estimating contributions of over a million dollars to benefit the schools.
Recently, the owner of the shop’s property informed Dress Best For Less (DBFL) they would not be renewing the long held lease as Commis Restaurant would be taking over the space to increase the size of its popular upscale restaurant. Most of the clients of the thrift store originate from the Kaiser Hospital facilities making it an ideal location for DBFL.
Since 1982, DBFL, a 501c3 charitable organization, has donated over $1 million to PEF. The resale operation sells and recycles donated goods from local residents. DBFL supports Piedmont schools while helping Piedmonters reduce, reuse and recycle.
Gayle Sells, Chair of DBFL Board stated, “We are currently looking for a place to rent on Piedmont Ave as half our customers are from Kaiser. However, we are open to other ideas.”
The Carriage House Marking Room is proposed to be eliminated for a new Aquatic Center development.
Compounding challenges for DBFL, the proposed Aquatic Center includes destruction of the Carriage House, valued as a quaint landmark of Piedmont’s past. The Carriage House has long served as the DBFL sorting and marking room and a very convenient drop off center for donations. On any day of the week Piedmonters can be seen bringing bags and boxes of toys, outgrown clothes and housewares to the Carriage House.
The elimination of the Carriage House as a marking room is not immediate. However, if a bond is approved by voters for the Aquatic Center, a new marking room will need to be purchased, rented or built in a central Piedmont location for the convenience of volunteer workers and donors, who donate or work at the Carriage House before picking up kids or after swimming next door.
Are there any other City owned properties that could serve as well as the Carriage House for donations and recycling in the community? Perhaps the east wing of 801 Magnolia Avenue or the City garages on Magnolia Avenue?
According to Gayle Sells, Chair of DBFL Board, “We hope that the city and school community can find us another space if the pool gets the go ahead. Our board supports the idea of a new community pool.”
Recycling locally is an important contribution to fulfilling our required reduction of greenhouse gases and reaching the objectives of Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan.
If you have ideas or can help relocate DBFL, let DBFL know at shopdbfl@gmail.com
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On the last Saturday of the month, there is a $10 bag sale from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Carriage House Marking Room – Bag Day is a popular adventure allowing avid thrift shoppers to stuff a standard brown grocery bag full of items for $10.
DONATIONS:
“DBFL strives to resell only the highest quality donations. Everything on the floor is either in new condition or gently used. If anything is placed on the floor that is found to have holes, stains or looks too worn, it is removed.”
DONATING at the MARKING ROOM Carriage House
Marking Room at Magnolia and Bonita Avenues – 799 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont, CA – 510-653-0221
• All donations are preferred during business hours at the Marking Room, however a new drop box outside of the Carriage House is available at all hours.
• All sporting goods and furniture should be donated here.
• Please DO NOT leave donations outside. They will be stolen.
• We do not take computers or other electronics.
• No skis, cribs or soiled goods.
DONATING at the DRESS BEST FOR LESS store:
3861 Piedmont, Oakland, CA – 510-658-8525
• Small donations are accepted Monday through Saturday 11am-6pm.
• Do not leave items outside
While DBFL greatly appreciates the generosity of all of your donations, please be aware that large furniture, inoperable electronics, car seats, edible products and cosmetics will most likely be discarded automatically.
Cleaning closets? Recycle and reuse with Dress Best for Less! DBFL is always in need of gently used and good condition clothing, books, sporting goods and other small household items that will produce revenues for the schools. (Please no computers, non-working electrical items, or soiled, stained, moldy items!). Donate items at the marking room at 709 Magnolia Avenue, across from Piedmont High School.
If, as alluded to in the above article: “if a bond is approved by voters for the Aquatic Center”, another overblown bond issue is put before the voters to build another massive aquatics center, we can expect that at least some of us will be further challenged to remain in Piedmont. Not only would this force some of us on fixed incomes to AGAIN diminish our way of life, or even leave Piedmont, our property taxes would again be increased. We can’t continue to be assessed, assessed and assessed without end! And what then becomes of DBFL?