Support Stroudsburg's Creative Community Hub

The Anarchist Closet is a safe haven for creative Stroudsburg misfits in particular, but has been exploding rapidly as a general community hot spot. While I’ve been met with an overwhelming amount of support through clothing donations and regular shoppers, I have been put in this predicament twice now of having to expand before I was financially prepared to. Moving from a small underground room to the back section of a vape shop provided a much needed change and we were more than grateful to survive and be able to grow-but the vape shop is pulling out of the lease suddenly and I would really like to build the front half of the store the way it deserves. I’d like to use these funds to buy some displays, set up a small skate shop, and get enough paint to really let the community’s truly bored teenagers go crazy decorating inside with me and teach them DIY art skills over vaping. I am confident in directing them and influencing positive change-but I need to act fast to make up rent suddenly for a space 3 times what I’m paying now: I truly believe having the front section of the store decorated the way I envision it, will bring in enough foot traffic to pay the rent, and I believe having the full space will also be a profitable opportunity for consignment artists to rent but first I need to design cohesive booths for them. As a co-op/collective of artists, I think this is the only way to fight gentrification honestly and my store has provided such a refreshing vibe for many people, I hate asking for help but I will be putting anything you can give into resources and recreation for the town. Putting money directly into local artists hands has been such an important mission of mine since this space was poorly used as “condoms galore”. When I worked there I envisioned a fun colorful lounge next to the Sherman Theater, and I’m so close to making it happen but wildly unprepared to expand alone today. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHOSE FAST FORWARDED MY TRAJECTORY SO MUCH THAT I THINK THIS IS EVEN A POSSIBILITY. This store has been a pipe dream of mine or at least I thought, since I was 17, wishing my “delinquent friends” had a spot like this in stroudsburg that cared about them and kept them out of trouble. So many people have told me that they needed this since I just figured I’d wing it and I never anticipated … how well it would go. A lot of crazy factors along the way really confirmed running a business would not be easy which I anticipated but it is also so fulfilling and I really appreciate any share or help!