Granny’s Attic seeks community support during closure

Published 10:30 am Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Granny’s Attic, the beloved local thrift store and grantmaker for local heathcare-related nonprofits, will remain closed most of January, prompting the nonprofit thrift store to seek community financial support.

The extended closure is due to a major construction underway in the parking lot and elsewhere in Vashon Market Plaza, where Granny’s is located.

The construction project, initiated by Shawn Hoffman, who owns the the plaza complex and Vashon Market IGA, includes installing solar panels on a refurbished roof, which requires placing reinforcing rafters above Granny’s Attic to support the additional weight — a step not originally anticipated.

For Granny’s, that means a reduction in revenue that it typically returns to the community.

“The longer that we’re closed, the less money we bring in, the less money we have to grant back to the community,” Brian Vescovi, executive director of Granny’s Attic, said.

The store closed Dec. 23 for its usual holiday break and briefly reopened Dec. 31 to accept final donations. It was scheduled to fully reopen Jan. 3, but construction-related safety concerns have pushed that date back until at least Jan. 21.

Staff considered operating either the retail or donation side during construction but determined it was not feasible.“In order for us to totally function, both sides of the building have to be functional,” Vescovi said.

January is typically the slowest month and the store often plans some time off accordingly, Vescovi said. “It’s unfortunate, but at least it’s a bit of a blessing that it’s the slowest time of the year,” he said.

Still, while the store is closed, it cannot generate revenue. In a typical month, Granny’s contributes about $20,000 toward its twice-yearly grant cycle that supports local nonprofits.

As a result, the organization will rely on reserve funds to issue grant checks in May, Vescovi said.

During the closure, Granny’s employees will continue earning their full regular wages, further impacting finances, Vescovi added. Staff pay will be covered through a combination of temporary unemployment benefits and supplemental payments from Granny’s.

Vashon Plaza owner Shawn Hoffman has provided Granny’s Attic with a full month of free rent to help offset losses.

“Our landlord is being super gracious and helping us out,” Vescovi said.

“The contractors originally thought they could do this while still keeping Granny’s open,” Hoffman said in an email. “The job became more complicated and there was also concern about employee safety so it was decided to close Granny’s for a few weeks in January.”

The upgrades are part of broader improvements made over the past couple of years at Vashon Plaza, Hoffman said. Part of the solar system will be installed on the plaza’s roof, but because the portion of the roof over IGA cannot support the panels, the remainder will be built as a parking-lot solar array supported by 14-foot-tall canopy-style columns. No parking spaces will be lost.

Granny’s Attic is expected to remain closed until at least Jan. 21, though the timeline could extend, Vescovi said.

He is asking community members who are able to consider making monetary donations via vashongrannysattic.org or by contacting him at store@vashongrannysattic.org.

This money, Vescovi said, “will go directly to help pay for the staff’s layoff and the grant funds.”

“Hopefully they finish on time and we can get back in the building and freshen it up a little bit as much as possible and get open as soon as possible,” he said.