Brown Elephant Resale in Boystown Is Moving

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Sad news today….

In July, Howard Brown Health Centers (HBHC) flagship Brown Elephant Resale Shop in Lakeview will move to a new location at 3020 N. Lincoln Avenue. For over two decades, the popular Brown Elephant shop, currently on Halsted, has been an outlet for gently used vintage clothing, furniture, electronics, and other items in the Lakeview community.

The new location will offer our loyal customers a warm, inviting retail experience, said David Ernesto Munar, HBHCs President and CEO. The Lincoln Avenue space will enhance our ability to meet the health needs of LGBTQ people and our allies. The store is better suited for the resale operation and collection of donations.  A flexible floor plan and private offices will allow us to host community events and on-site services.

HBHC established the Brown Elephant in the 1980s to support a full continuum of affordable health-related programs and services for low-income LGBTQ people and allies. The revenue generated by donations and purchases support essential health care for thousands of uninsured and under-insured patients each year. 

The current location at 3651 N. Halsted will keep normal business hours (daily from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) until the end of June.  Effective July, HBHCs Brown Elephant locations will be: 

Brown Elephant in Lakeview
3020 N. Lincoln Avenue
773.549.5943

Brown Elephant in Andersonville
5404 N. Clark Street
773.271.9382

Brown Elephant in Oak Park
217 Harrison Street
708.445.0612

Tax-deductible donations of household items, furniture, electronics or apparel can be made at any location.  To learn about pick-up options go to http://www.howardbrown.org/hb_brownelephant.asp    or dial 773.549.5943 Ext. 1.

 

The Brown Elephant is much more than a resale store but a way for individuals to give back to their community, Munar said.

In the months leading up to the move, HBHC will host a series of community town-hall meetings at the store on Halsted and its new location to invite public input on LGBTQ health needs and topics. Public input will support a community health needs assessment, conducted by HBHC every five years. The schedule of discussion topics and meeting facilitators is forthcoming.

We are so grateful to the tens of thousands of shoppers and donors who have generously supported LGBTQ health via the flagship Brown Elephant for over two decades, Munar said. As we plan for the shops new location, there is not a more fitting use of the space on Halsted than to invite community input to help shape future health and wellness initiatives to better serve the community.

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