NONPROFIT
By Tricia Moore | Photos by Nate Friend
Hallowed Halls
More than a thrift store
Touring the halls of the former Jefferson Elementary School in Fayetteville with Shawn Schwartzman, founder and president of Potter’s House, was like straddling two worlds — one acknowledging the past and one looking toward the future, both for the building and the nonprofit.
As Schwartzman guided the way through the hallways, rooms and stairways built in the 1930s, he explained that both the past and future are central to Potter’s House’s ambitious “Jefferson Renewed” campaign.
Potter’s House purchased the former school in early 2023, something it was only conceptualizing until a generous donor stepped in, allowing the organization to bring all its programming under one roof. It is perfectly located in the community it serves, convenient for the families who use Potter’s House services. Currently, the nonprofit is raising funds to help renovate this newly acquired building as well as expand and sustain its current programs.
The plan is to repurpose the building to what it was — a place for education, community, relationships and growth, Schwarztman said with infectious passion. After 26 years of experience, Potter’s House knows a lot about the needs of the community. It also has grown a solid reputation with other partner nonprofits. “This property will be a collaborative space,” Schwartzman said, “as there are needs that other nonprofits have that we can support.”
Indoor and outdoor space is an obvious benefit, as the property has 40,000 square feet and 4.2 acres of land. Having this space allows for workable solutions when dire community needs arise, such as extreme cold- or hot-weather days when other organizations are at capacity. Some community organizations, with limited outdoor green space in the downtown area, run kids’ programs that would benefit from a setting such as this. Potter’s House now has this space to share and use with the good of the community in mind. Embracing the future with this vision is vital as the area’s population expands.
Continuing the tour and looking east toward the rolling Ozarks through an old classroom window, Schwartzman said, “Building relationships is the center of who we are. Relationships matter. We want the community, our families and our community partners to know that we have a space where people are cared for. We see a future of a connected community, and that means embracing the power of diverse relationships to connect and change our community for the better.”
Schwartzman eventually turns the conversation to the three thrift stores Potter’s House runs. Located in Fayetteville, Springdale and Siloam Springs, the stores provide not only jobs but also access to affordable goods. Seventy-five percent of the organization is funded by the three thrift stores. And $60,000 in thrift store vouchers are provided annually to community members in need. Even though Schwartzman smiled and said, “Potter’s House is more than a thrift store,” he knows the revenue generated through these stores has enabled his organization to grow and thrive.
The new facility already boasts an operational tuition-free preschool, small mentorship groups, leadership opportunities for older students, and adult programming that engages in international and diverse relationships and activities.
Leaving behind the old hardwood floors, Schwartzman concludes the tour by heading down a set of stairs and walking outside. Looking back toward the building, he restates what is printed in the program’s campaign materials, almost by heart. “This building has been an important part of our community for almost 100 years,” he said. “It served as a place of education and community life. It is a building whose history needs to be remembered and celebrated.”
“Jefferson Renewed” is filled with echoes of the past, yet with the renewed community-centric vision Potter’s House has for its future, it sounds like the building’s hollow halls will soon become hallowed halls once again.
