Sojourn’s Resale, a thrift store whose proceeds support the work of Sojourn Shelter and Services, has announced that Aug. 31 will be their last day in business. The resale shop, which is located in Fairhills Mall, tried to renew their lease earlier this month and was notified that the rent for their space would be increasing 26 percent, which executive director Angela Bertoni said was not feasible.

“We had moved from our west side location three years ago because it was an exorbitant cost there, and the Fairhills landlord was giving us a good deal. I would have had no problem paying more if we were making money hand over fist, but that just wasn’t the case,” said Bertoni. “I did a spreadsheet showing our expenses and revenues. We told the landlord that it’s a great service to our clients, but if you want to raise rent, we can’t afford to carry it.”

In November 2016, Fairhills Shopping Center was sold to a group of real estate investors from California who have since made a number of improvements to the 100,000 square foot strip center, including a new roof.

Bertoni said that Sojourn has no plans to look for a new location, although they will continue to accept donations of clothing to be used for their clients. “We still will be taking donations, but they might be more specific items,” said Bertoni. “We won’t be able to take the amount of donations that we took over there.”

She also said they are having conversations with a couple of potential partners, but nothing is solidified just yet. In the meantime, the remaining inventory at Sojourn’s Resale is being sold at 75 perfect off.