The Garage of Blessings plans to move, and the volunteers who run the organization are asking for financial help from the Oak Harbor community.

T.J. Fisher, president of the board of Garage of Blessings, said the nonprofit is hoping to raise $50,000 by the end of the month to purchase a new building.

Sound Publishing, the parent company for Whidbey News-Times, South Whidbey Record and many other newspapers across the state, owns the building on Southeast Barrington Drive in Oak Harbor and notified the Garage of Blessings in December that it had until the end of February to move out or face a steep rent increase, according to Fisher. The Garage of Blessings had been trying to purchase the building but the deal fell through, Fisher said, after contaminated soil was found.

The Garage of Blessings offers a free thrift store and food pantry inside the Southeast Barrington Drive building that serves the North Whidbey community. The Garage of Blessings, which is 100% volunteer-run and relies on donations, is unique in many ways, including a policy in which visitors aren’t asked to fill out any intake forms before receiving free assistance, whether it’s cans of soup, clothing, household items, hygiene supplies, furniture, toys, books, flu medication and on and on.

Fisher explained that 35% of shoppers are seniors on fixed incomes and about 30% are families with small children. Parents and children often line up outside before the doors are open.

On Monday afternoon, Madison Rozycki, who’s expecting in June, was browsing for maternity clothes, which she said are difficult to find in town. She said the organization has been a blessing.

“It’s most definitely been helpful in difficult times when I was struggling,” she said.

Less than 3% of shoppers are unhoused people, Fisher said. In the past, Garage of Blessings received some criticism in the community about homeless people taking large amounts of clothing from the organization and then leaving them in heaps around town. That is no longer the case, Fisher said, pointing out that visitors can now only take a limited number of items at a time.

Fisher is proud of the fact that the Garage of Blessings board strives to match volunteers with their skills. A volunteer, for example, started a popular boutique in the front of the building where higher-value gift-type items are for sale.

The nonprofit works with other organizations in the community, including Ryan’s House, the SPiN Cafe and the Pregnancy Center. Blankets and towels with stains go to Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation to keep pooches and kitties warm and comfortable.

Fisher said the nonprofit had been in negotiations to buy the building from Sound Publishing, but a potential agreement fell apart, which she claimed was because Sound Publishing “didn’t disclose” the presence of contamination in the soil.

Sound Publishing officials declined to comment.

The building is on the “contaminated sites list” on the state Department of Ecology website. A “heating oil underground storage tank removal and assessment” report on the Department of Ecology website states that an engineering company discovered an underground heating oil tank on the property in 2004 and testing showed that the surrounding soil was contaminated after it was removed. A followup “limited excavation” document states that much of the contaminated soil was removed but that an estimated three or four tons of potentially contaminated soil remained underneath the building. An enzyme was added to speed the natural degradation of the petroleum.

In a “seller disclosure statement” dated Nov. 27, 2024, the Sound Publishing representative marked “don’t know” on the question of whether there is any soil or groundwater contamination. Sound Publishing was purchased by an ownership group, including Canadian institutional investors Canso Investment Counsel, Deans Knight Capital Management and media company Carpenter Media Group, in 2024; the new owners inherited the aging building.

An “Environmental Site Assessment: Phase II” document, prepared August 2025 by the Stratum Group, discusses how petroleum breaks down over time and indicated that there was no way to know whether the contamination had persisted until the testing was done. The sampling included a hole bored through the floor of the building.

“Based upon these results, the subject property remains contaminated with diesel-range petroleum,” the executive summary concludes.

On Dec. 1, 2025, Fisher sent an email to a Sound Publishing official, complaining about potential safety issues and asking the company to fix problems previously reported. The email states that Washington Roofing Services inspected the building and found “active roof leaking was found above the electrical panel, creating a serious safety risk.” Fisher wrote that if “necessary work continues to be delayed” then the Garage of Blessings would hire someone to do the work and deduct the cost from lease payments.

On Dec. 3, a representative from a real estate advisor service firm sent an email to Harman that explained the lease precluded her from deducting money against the rent.

In addition, the email states that Garage of Blessings has overdue rent for October, November and December. The email states that the lease expires at the end of the year. The email offers to forgive overdue rent for October, November and December if the nonprofit vacates the premises by the end of February 2026 and waives claims “relating to repairs and maintenance of the common areas of the building, including, without limitation, the obligation to repair and maintain the premises as required in accordance with the terms of the lease.”

The email states that the landlord will charge twice the current base rent if Garage of Blessings doesn’t vacate on or before Feb. 28.

Harman said another promising building has been identified.

Donations can be submitted on the website, thegarageofblessings.com, mailed to P.O. Box 115, Oak Harbor, WA, 98277, or submitted to the Garage of Blessings bank account at People’s Bank.

The Garage of Blessings is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for shopping on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with donation drop-offs on Tuesday and Thursday. The Food Pantry is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays.