Old Lyme's Woman's Exchange: Helping Women To Help Themselves

If there's one thing The Lyme Tree Woman's Exchange has in common with every store it's this: the people who run it hope it makes as much money as possible.

Now, here's what makes it completely different from any other store: it's operated entirely by volunteers whose sole intent is to give all the profits away.

The Lyme Tree is part of a national network of Woman's Exchange charity shops that trace their roots back to The Philadelphia Ladies' Depository. The Depository was first established in 1832 to give genteel ladies a way to make "pin money" from their homemaking skills.

Before long, Woman's Exchanges began sprouting up all over, evolving to become a way for women who had fallen on hard times to make money selling homemade items such as quilts and, in some instances, offering training in sewing to help women turn their skills into marketable commodities.

Times may have changed since then but the Woman's Exchange's mission remains much the same today. The store carries homemade, handcrafted items that provide artists with income and any profits are donated to charities that benefit women and children. 

The Lyme Tree, which was founded in 1986 in Old Lyme, is one of 19 Woman's Exchanges nationwide and it's staffed almost exclusively by volunteers. Joan Ryan, who is the current copresident of The Woman's Exchange in Old Lyme, first joined the organization as a volunteer in 2002. 

"There are 15 of us on the board and volunteers come in and mind the shop and help with whatever needs to be done. We have nobody that we hire," said Ryan. "I like the fact that we give back to the community. We know we're doing good."

Ryan said she enjoys working in the front of the shop best of all. "I get to meet new people and I like the fact that people like to come back," she said.

Indeed, it's the kind of store that invites people to linger. Ryan said she's seen women strike up conversations as strangers who are exchanging hugs by the time they leave. 

Where The Money Goes

The inventory, which comes from hundreds of artists, artisans, and crafters, changes frequently and is unfailingly well-made and totally unique. Right now, the store is stocking up on Halloween and holiday ornaments, wreaths, and gift items. Handmade toys, baby items, children's clothes, and handmade outfits for American Girl dolls do particularly well, Ryan said. 

The artists and artisans pay $8 to become members of the organization, which is a bargain compared to the $100 they would pay to have a booth at a one-day craft fair. The artists set their own prices and the store takes a 30 percent commission. Anything that is left over after the store has paid its operating expenses goes to local charities, with a focus on nonprofit organizations that help women in particular. 

Last January, for instance, the Woman's Exchange donated $1,000 to the Old Lyme's First Congregational Church's food pantry and New London's Hospitality Center is a frequent recipient of the store's generosity. In July, it donated $4,000 which was distributed between the Thames River Family Program for women and children and New Horizons, which helps victims of domestic violence.  

"When people shop here, they're contributing," said Ryan. "You buy a gift and at the same time, you're giving a gift to the town and to the surrounding area."

The Lyme Tree is located at 86 Halls Road in Old Lyme. Typically it's open Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but now the season is changing the store has extended its hours to include Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. through October.

This month, the store is offering a special prize for the winner of the Faerie Trail competition inspired by the Florence Griswold Museum and it will be holding a number of special events through November and December. Stop by the store for more details or call 860-434-7290.