Out of the Closet opens in Berkeley
By Kelli O. Nero

Thursday, July 04, 2002 - CORRESPONDENT

BERKELEY -- Out of the Closet, a thrift store that raises money to provide health care for people with AIDS and HIV, celebrated its grand opening Wednesday in Berkeley.

The new store at 1600 University Ave. is the popular Southern California-based chain's first in Northern California.

"It is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood," said Berkeley City Councilmember Dona Spring. "This store has so many virtues: It keeps things out of landfills, reduces the need to produce new goods, and the proceeds help people cope with a very serious illness."

For every dollar customers spend, 95 cents of the proceeds will go directly to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest provider of AIDS and HIV care in the United States.

"Out of the Closet revenue enables the foundation to continue to provide compassionate, high-quality care for persons with HIV and AIDS regardless of their ability to pay," said Michael Weinstein, AHF president.

"We opened our first Magic Johnson Clinic AIDS Healthcare Center in Oakland two years ago, and will soon open another in San Francisco," he added.

Carlos Rosell is HIV-positive. A patient at Oakland's Magic Johnson AIDS clinic, he said he has received top-notch care.

"It wasn't just the medicine that helped me," said Rosell. "They dealt with me with intimacy and professionalism. They got me to face my reality and take medication."

About 200 people gathered to be the first customers to shop for items donated from the set of television show "The X-files," props from Warner Bros. Studios, and a pool table donated by director Ron Howard.

Despite a festive atmosphere the opening was bittersweet, as some speakers noted it would be better if the need for this type of shop didn't exist.

"I'm not happy to be here because we have a long way to go" said Keith Carson, Alameda County supervisor. "But we should be happy with what we've done here today."

According to Carson, California has 165,000 reported cases of AIDS. In Alameda County there are 6,000 cases of AIDS and 4,000 of HIV. Of those, 70 percent are people of African-American descent, Carson said.

The alarming rate of AIDS and HIV among African Americans caused Alameda County to declare a state of emergency in 1999 said Michael Rubiano, who represented Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) at the grand opening.

Carson also noted the number of AIDS and HIV cases is noticeably increasing among women, people under 16 years of age, Asians and Mexican Americans.

Still, the thrift store is a unique solution to a persistent issue, organizers said.

"This is a tremendous store," said former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris. "It represents the ability for all of us to make an effort. This is a problem we all need to deal with."

"I totally support the idea for the store," said Tom Eversmann, an Arizona resident visiting the area. "I couldn't think of a better thing to do. The money is going to a fabulous cause. I have lost a lot of friends to AIDS, so anything I can do to support it is fine."

Out of the Closet accepts drop-off donations and picks up donations in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. The store's phone number is 841-2088.