Boomerangs reopening under nonprofit More Than Words
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The shuttered Boomerangs in Cambridge. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios
Boomerangs, the thrift store chainlet that supported HIV care, is reopening under the leadership of a local nonprofit.
Why it matters: The beloved stores left a hole in Greater Boston when they closed in June at the direction of their owner, Fenway Health.
Driving the news: The store on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge will reopen by December as Boomerangs by More Than Words, Jodi Rosenbaum, the nonprofit's founder, tells Axios.
- The organization pledged to donate 1% of its sales from Boomerangs to support HIV care and services at Fenway Health for three months.
- More Than Words' staff is exploring reopening the Boomerangs in Jamaica Plain, but nothing's set in stone, Rosenbaum says.
Zoom in: More Than Words serves young adults who are in foster care, the court system or not in school, including unhoused youth. The nonprofit also runs bookstores in the South End and in Waltham, where it also sells clothing.
- Boomerangs by More Than Words will employ up to six people, each of whom will be a graduate of the organization's job training program, Rosenbaum tells Axios.
What they're saying: "We see this as an opportunity to honor the rich legacy that Boomerangs built over two decades while also allowing us to extend the reach of our programs and empowering young people," Rosenbaum said in a statement.
Flashback: The advocacy group AIDS Action started Boomerangs in the mid-1990s as a way to raise money for HIV care.
- Fenway Health eventually absorbed AIDS Action and oversaw the Boomerangs stores.
- It cited in its decision to close the stores "significant financial losses" over six years.
What's next: Boomerangs by More Than Words will sell secondhand clothes, accessories, books, home goods and music — much like the old Boomerangs.
Until the Cambridge location reopens, More Than Words will accept Boomerangs donations at its South End and Waltham bookstores, plus at its bins.