Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Marie Loney
Hi Shawn Marie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My husband and I moved to Rockford in 2012. We had our sons in 2011 and 2012 and we we’re blessed with many new and gently used gifts from friends and family. Many of our friends had older children and were passing things along to us as new parents. Not having a lot of friends and family in the area to pass them on to, I spent many years gifting our items to others from our schools and community in need.
Fast forward to December 2023, when I realized that both of my boys were going to be in middle school the next fall and not only would I not have the same relationship with the elementary school, I was going to have a lot more time on my hands!
With the support and blessing of my husband and my kids, I formed the idea of Tapestry Rockford. A one stop care closet for all of the Rockford schools and children in our area. I designed a logo, applied for my nonprofit, created my social media, launched a website that first week of Holiday break. And I started asking for clothing donations in January 2024.
From January through July, we collected items in our family‘s basement; from clothing to school supplies to sports equipment and more!
In July, the reality hit that I had outgrown our home and I was ready to open to the public! We were blessed with an amazing space a mile from home on the west side of Rockford. The space was perfect for what we needed to open in less than a month. We moved into two suites and set up the racks with what we had and opened our doors in August 2024.
We saw over 50 children between day one and the start of school and we were able to provide them with brand new school supplies, backpacks, back to school clothes and shoes thanks to the many generous donors throughout the start of the year.
Since opening in August, we have expanded to five suites in our building. We currently have a locker room, providing gym shoes and all varieties of sports equipment as well as school spirit wear college and pro team logo clothing. We also have a sorting room where we take in donated inventory and open up to high school students the opportunity for volunteer hours. We work with the National Honor Society and student council at our local high school. Two of the other rooms are filled with new or like new clothing, one room age 5 to 16 the other room adult extra small through 4X. The final room is seasonal and currently houses winter coats, winter boots, hats, gloves for all children of all ages.
We have currently serviced over 100 children and work very closely with many of the elementary schools in Rockford and the surrounding area. We have formed close partnerships with many other nonprofits, giving us the ability to pass on items that don’t fit our needs to the community as well. Everything we receive is gifted free in and gifted free out.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While the clothing donations rolled in easily the main challenge that we faced was finding a public space to open a Shop. We were unable to afford a Rockford storefront being a nonprofit and generating zero income. At the start, we had no donors and no financial support. After taking on the initial expense with the attorneys to ensure that our 501(c)(3) was up and running, my family generously donated enough to cover our initial rent from July through December 2024. With the promise that I will focus on fundraising in 2025 and that Tapestry would hopefully receive corporate sponsorship enough to see us through one year at a time in our existing space.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The biggest thing that sets us apart from other similar style charities in our county is our specific focus on the children. Myself and my partner Krista recognized a need in our schools. We were often hearing stories about bullying and mental health concerns among some of the students in Rockford. One goal in creating Tapestry is to help provide these children with items that would aid in making their time at Rockford public schools the best it can be! We wanted to see that ALL students had access to the necessary school supplies, school clothing, shoes, sports equipment or other basic needs to feel confident and empowered during their day. What the help of many employees at Rockford public schools, we have been able to identify students who could benefit from our services. Another thing that we have received praise for is our Appointment only shopping experience. We offer each family an hour of personal time to bring their children in to our shop and allow them to pick and choose the items that they love! It is very private and very personal. Each child can look for items that fit their individual style. We have found this is way more efficient than just gathering a bag of the appropriate size and dropping it off! This also fits our business goal of making sure that every item is recirculated into our community.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice for anyone starting out in any business is that if you can dream it, you can do it! Super cliché, but very true!
I will say I was very fortunate to have a lot of support on many different levels. But if you take the chance to ask, there are so many people out there willing to help you. A lot of people want to support and help with a charity, they just don’t know how to go about it. Be brave enough to create a company that you are proud to talk about and ask for help!
It is amazing how receptive our community has been to Tapestry Rockford. Heading into our first full year I am very excited to continue to adapt our current model in Rockford Public schools and would love to move into a couple of the surrounding districts by year end.
Pricing:
- If anyone is willing to financially sponsor or support, Tapestry Rockford below are our needs:
- $1000 a month rent and expenses
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tapestryrockford.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tapestryrockford/profilecard/?igsh=ZmtveHlueTNranU=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18VrjgrdxU/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://gofund.me/ef52ff49
