Village Treasure House looks great, serves the North Shore even better

Northbrook's Village Treasure House is beautiful inside and out.

It's been described as a not-for-profit consignment warehouse. Once inside, though, that is a little like calling the United Center a gymnasium.

In the shop's showroom at 1460 Paddock Drive, near the Glenview border, much of the furniture, decor, table settings and artwork is displayed as they'd be found in a home - albeit a very busy home because of the hundreds of items available for purchase, selectively previewed and screened to insure quality.

"The volume of wall space and display space we have is absolutely wonderful," said Sharon Kaczmarek, one of the dozens of volunteers at Village Treasure House.

While welcoming and helpful to the shopper, these are aesthetics.

The true beauty of the Treasure House is its mission: It donates 100% of its profits to local agencies in the North and Northwest suburbs that serve families and individuals in crisis. Beneficiaries provide help with food insecurity, homelessness and adolescent mental health issues.

They include The Harbour, the Hunger Resource Network, Metropolitan Family Services and Youth Services. The full (literally; new applications are currently being kept on file) roster of these 16 agencies, which must submit written grant proposals twice annually, is listed on the company's website, www.villagetreasurehouse.org, under the banner "Our Mission."

Open since 1997, now in its third location, beginning in 1998 with a $6,000 grant the Village Treasure House has donated more than $2,850,000 to charity. Kaczmarek said Treasure House is on pace to distribute more than $100,000 in grants this month. She said by the end of the year the grand total should exceed $3 million.

Should that total be confirmed, Kaczmarek said Village Treasure House will look to adopt the slogan: "$3 million and beyond, changing lives in our communities."

She's among more than 70 volunteers soldiering on through the pandemic.

"We do come with plenty of experience. We're no spring chickens," she added.

"I think it represents true commitment and a belief that the work that the charities do is in demand and necessary, and nothing has highlighted that more than COVID-19 this last year. We're just really proud to be a part of it," Kaczmarek said.

Northfield Township Supervisor Jill Brickman said Village Treasure House has been among the Northfield Township Food Pantry's largest donors since the 501c3 nonprofit store started. While food is the obvious focus of the pantry - which has seen an increase both in need and support this year, Brickman said - the Treasure House has helped in another, more hidden way.

Two years ago it launched a "diaper bank" with a $6,000 grant and more than 36 boxes of diapers.

"Diapers are a huge cost and they aren't covered by other programs, so for a family to get a case of diapers for a child who needs them each month is a huge help," Brickman said.

(Incidentally, she recently picked up a ceramic rooster toothpick holder at the Treasure House for a friend who collects rooster items for her kitchen.)

"Their whole concept is based on the spirit of giving year-round," Brickman said.

"They actually seem to take real joy in helping people. They work like crazy, they take great pride in the community, and it's such a great story, such a grass-roots effort that has grown into a philanthropic powerhouse that has tremendous impact."

Even with its healthy property values and median incomes, its schools rated as "exemplary" and its overall high-arching reputation, the North Shore is not immune to problems plaguing society at large. That's been further illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the Village Treasure House hits that $3 million mark in donations it will not ease up.

"As soon as we hit 3 we have a long ways till 4," Kaczmarek said, "and it better not take that many years."