Spiffed up Woman's Exchange reopens
Little Silver shop has been benefiting charities for 75 years
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer

LITTLE SILVER - After 24 years at the same location, a longstanding borough nonprofit has gone through some changes over the past month.

The Woman's Exchange of Monmouth County, 32 Church St., closed in mid-January for renovations and reopened its doors Feb. 18 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by supporters, including Mayor Suzanne Castleman.

"The Little Shop" has been in the area since the 1930s and had not been renovated since 1984.

The exchange originally had a location in Rumson and moved to a different location in Little Silver before calling the Church Street building home.

"We redid all of our shelving and repainted and have a new floor," said Elaine Boaman, assistant manager of the exchange, which benefits local charities.

Boaman, of Fair Haven, said the renovations to the shop really brightened up the décor and also included a reconfiguration of the original floor plan.

"It's been a while; we needed a fresh look to update," said Boaman, who has been working at the exchange for the past eight years.

"You have a good purpose here, and I like selling things that are made in the United States and [by] people who make very pretty things," she said.

The Woman's Exchange is a nonprofit organization that was founded in Philadelphia in 1832 and is one of the oldest continually operating charitable movements in the United States, according to the Federation of Woman's Exchanges Web site.

Boaman noted that the exchange was founded to give women an outlet for selling crafts they produce as well as to benefit charities.

"That's still our mission," she said. "We have 250 member crafters or artisans, and we sell their handmade goods."

Boaman said the 250 member crafters and artisans all contribute to the 22 Woman's Exchange locations across the country.

"[The crafters give their goods] on consignment, meaning they get paid after the items are sold, and it's all brand-new handmade things. We charge an administrative fee, and they continue to supply us with their things as they sell out," said Boaman.

She said 50 percent of the merchandise sold in the store, which includes such items as hand-knitted sweaters, children's wear, handmade wooden toys, baby blankets, jewelry, handbags and table linens, is made in the United States by the crafters and the other 50 percent is bought from quality gift manufacturers.

Boaman said this year was also a special one for the Woman's Exchange, because it will be celebrating the 75-year anniversary since it opened in the area in 1934.

Although plans have not been finalized by the board of directors, which is led by co-presidents JaniceAnania of Colts Neck, and Sheila Van Winkle of Sea Bright, some anniversary festivities are in the works for 2008, according to Boaman.

These plans include in-store promotions for customers and a Web site to come out this year, according to Boaman.

"Our sales staff is volunteer but the managers are paid, and any profits that we have at the end of the year we donate to Monmouth County charities," said Boaman.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Renovations have rearranged and brightened the interior of the Woman's Exchange of Monmouth County in Little Silver. Elaine Boaman, assistant manager, appreciates working at a shop that supports local charities and provides an outlet for crafters to sell their handiwork. Located in this Church Street building, the exchange will mark 75 years of operation with a gala.

Anania and VanWinkle are two of the 60 volunteers who work at the Woman's Exchange, and each volunteer works two half-days per month, according to Boaman.

W

hile they haven't yet picked the

charities that will benefit from shop proceeds this year, last year's included HABcore, which serves the homeless in the greater Monmouth County area; Saturday Soup in Asbury Park; Riverview Behavioral Health Center; and Children's Progress Unlimited, which is a center for outreach and services for the autism community.

Boaman said 2007 donations totaled about $30,000 and checks were given out to each of the charities at the organization's annual luncheon in June.

Since the reopening of the store, Boaman said new items for Easter are in stock as well as spring collections.

These items include brand-new straw handbags, seasonal jewelry, Easter dresses and sweaters for children, a new line of purse accessories, and the spring '08 Vera Bradley handbag line.

Also sold at the shop is artwork and photography from local artists, which includes pictures of local scenery.

"We have a lot of people who stop in who are artists or crafters, and we also go to art shows and find people whose work we would enjoy selling," said Boaman.

Another way theWoman's Exchange finds unique items to sell in the store is through the annual meeting of the Federation of Woman's Exchanges chapters across the country.

This year's meeting will be hosted by theMidland Park chapter and will include a craft show of sorts, with each exchange bringing some of the work of their new crafters for other exchanges to see and possibly sell.

The Little Shop in Little Silver, which is one of the largest chapters, is openMonday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with extended Saturday hours before holidays.

"A lot of people called during the renovation, so we kind of kept in touch with our customers, and we also have an e-mail mailing list so we let people know how things were going," said Boaman.

TheWoman's Exchange can be reached at (732) 741-1164 or by e-mail to womansexchange@ aol.com.