ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
The Airmen's Attic is dedicated to easing the financial pressures on military families by giving its patrons free, quality goods including clothing, furniture, appliances, and dishes.
Enlisted personnel, E-5 and below and from all military branches, are welcome to shop there and can acquire various items from the Airmen's Attic just by showing an ID card.
"The Airmen's Attic is a place where the base community can fulfill needs - not wants," said Sharon Thorpe, wife of Chief Master Sgt. David Thorpe and 844th Communications Squadron group superintendent and Airmen's Attic co-coordinator. "We're not a place to come if you want to upgrade your furniture because you don't like what you currently own. We provide what we can to people who genuinely need these items for their apartment, dorm room, or home. It's all donated from the community, and that's what we provide to the people that come here."
To ensure that all Airmen who shop there are served, some basic procedures are in place. "All we ask is that when people come in here, that they show their ID card," said Mrs. Thorpe. "We also have a 'one-bag' rule in place to make sure that people don't take advantage of the Airmen's Attic and take more than they need. It's one bag per family per visit. We also ask that people keep in mind that the Airmen's Attic is for our Airmen and their immediate families - not their moms, dads, and extended relatives."
Although the Airmen's Attic is discussed at the base's orientation, Mrs. Thorpe finds that many young Airmen are not aware of the Airmen's Attic or its mission. "When Airmen walk into the Airmen's Attic, they can't believe it's for them," said Mrs. Thorpe. "When they ask why there are no prices or price tags, we tell them, 'It's for you, it's free.' They look at us like we're crazy and say, 'what do you mean it's free?' We also hear from a lot of Airmen and their families say that they didn't know this place was here."
For Mrs. Thorpe, volunteering at the Airmen's Attic is a mission of giving back to the community and a labor of love. "Dawn Smith, the coordinator of the Airmen's Attic, and I are in here every day, sorting through things. As we sort through things, we think, 'if it's not good enough for us, then it's not good enough for our young Airmen.' We really try to provide good, quality items," said Mrs. Thorpe. "We try to keep the Airmen's Attic very clean and organized. We're always trying to do things better."
For Mrs. Thorpe, by volunteering at the Airmen's Attic, there is also a sense of been there, done that. "My family, we know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck - we know and remember what it's like to be E-5 and below. I've been volunteering here for three years and I really enjoy doing it."
The Airmen's Attic accepts donations during the hours that the shop is open and accepts a wide array of goods. "We take everything except wire hangers and used undergarments," said Mrs. Thorpe. "Some of the stuff we get is really old, like an old rusty bike or clothes with holes in them. Why would somebody want that? That kind of stuff we don't keep and usually end up tossing. We ask people who donate to us to use the common sense factor."
The Airmen's Attic is located at 1676 Brookley Ave. and is open Tuesdays and Fridays from Noon to 4 p.m. To contact the Airmen's Attic, call 301-981-9665.