Shelter Options Shoppe facing monetary obstacles while rebuilding

Reporter Rodaris Richardson

An organization that helps people rebuild their lives needs help itself after Hurricane Ian.

The shelter, for abused women and children, had to close The Shelter Options Shoppe after the storm.

It’s a boutique that offers clothing, accessories, furniture, and more to people who need it.

Before they reopen they need to rebuild and to rebuild they need the money to cover all the costs.

WINK News was told about three feet of water came right up to the store and three to six inches of water actually got inside.

So the repairs are going to take a few months, and when they’re closed they are losing a lot of money that goes towards the shelter for abused women and children in Naples.

People were hoping to shop for a good cause on Friday at the Shelter Options Shoppe, unaware of just how badly the store was hit by the storm.

Paul Kallenburg, the store’s general manager, said it’s going to be a long road to recovery.

“We had to totally replace flooring. And we’re gonna have to also replace our drywall, which is disheartening,” Kallenburg said.

“So the items that were saved, we were able to before the hurricane, we did move some items up, but we were not able to everything up. Fortunately, the water inside was not as high as it was outside,” Kallenburg said.

The store is not accepting clothing or furniture donations because they have nowhere to put them. And, every day they are closed, they are losing money that goes towards a good cause.

“We’re looking at about $400,000, and just business interruption, sales to from the store that would be put back into our programs and services, which support the victims that we serve every day,” Linda Oberhaus, the CEO, said.

Hoping to raise enough money and rebuild as quickly as possible…

“I would just ask our customers to be patient … we’re moving as quickly as we can to get open and have the store up and running again,” Kallenburg said.

Again, the biggest way to help right now is through monetary donations.

Click here to help support the cause.