MAKE SPACE: the Whittier Free Store & the Artisan Work Lab

The Whittier Free Store and Artisan Work Lab will be closing in September 2020. 

In a nutshell, we've been fortunate and thankful to have been invited by First Christian Church of Whittier to occupy the space so that we could serve the community for the past 5 years. The congregation has since closed their services at the end of 2019 but have graciously allowed us to continue using the space. We've recently been informed that they have had to lease the entire church campus to another large church which means we'll need to move out of the space as soon as possible.

Rather than finding a new space to open and operate in, we have decided to close down our Whittier Free Store and Artisan Work Lab programs. But it's now more than ever during this time of social distancing, social isolation, anxiety, and economic uncertainty that we need ways of connecting with neighbors and helping each other in whatever ways that we can. So we're excited about new possibilities for helping others to start free sharing operations (FSOs).

MAKE SPACE is a creative upcycling center for diverting material goods from the waste stream by redistributing or transforming items back into the community for reuse.

• The Whittier Free Store is a place where people can share what they have and find what they need. Members donate unwanted items in good condition, then we present the items in the free store in a boutique / thrift shop format for members to browse and choose (“shop”) for free. Click or tap here to read more about the Whittier Free Store.
  
  

• The Artisan Work Lab is a creative art space for people to create, craft and upcycle new things out of the raw materials generated from excess free store donations. Members can use the space as a work studio and to teach or participate in a variety of artisan classes. Click or tap here to read more about the Artisan Work Lab.

Our vision for MAKE SPACE is to see a community of people participating in a new system of pooling resources that provides for everyone’s material need and for everyone’s creative outlet.

MAKE SPACE is located at 12907 Hadley Street, Whittier,CA 90601 in Uptown Whittier. We have limited hours so be sure to check the calendar for hours of operation.