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Boomerangs, Boston-area thrift stores that raise money for AIDS, to close in June

Fenway Health, the organization that runs the stores, cited financial concerns.

By Emily Spatz

May 1, 2024

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Boomerangs thrift stores in Boston’s Jamaica Plain and South End and Cambridge’s Central Square will close in June due to financial losses, operator Fenway Health announced Tuesday. 

The stores have been raising money for HIV services since the mid-1990s, when they were started by AIDS Action, now Fenway’s Public Health Division. Though it was an “incredibly innovative” way to raise money for HIV services at first, financial struggles have taken their toll on the stores, Fenway Health said in a statement.

“For nearly 20 years, Boomerangs was an amazing success story, but for the last six years, it has seen significant financial losses,” the statement says. “Fenway simply cannot continue to absorb those losses year after year, so we have made the difficult decision to close Boomerangs.”

The stores have stopped accepting new donations and will announce exact closing dates soon. 

The first Boomerangs store was opened on Canal Street and was originally meant to provide a landing place for the belongings of people who had passed from AIDS-related complications, according to the store website. 

According to Fenway Health, the decision is one in a “series of changes” to come for Fenway Health. 

“We want to thank our Boomerangs customers, donors, and especially our dedicated and loyal staff over the years we have been in operation,” Fenway Health wrote in the release. “Your contributions have helped to make thrifting with Boomerangs a unique and special experience, and we will miss being a part of the neighborhoods our stores are in and the larger community.”