Mee Maw's Attic launches fundraiser

Located on 1st Street in the heart of downtown Rainier is Mee Maw's Attic, a treasure trove for bargain hunters, vintage seekers, and all-around treasure hunters. Always bustling with visitors from Rainier and beyond, the store features new inventory every week.

Jill Parker, along with husband Tom, owns Mee Maw's Attic, said she didn't set out to open her own retail store but the opportunity fell into her lap. "I was volunteering at Hope [a local non-profit] for two years and also helping the lady that had this store for about six months," said Jill. "Her husband had heart problems and something told me to come up here and offer to run the store for her for free while she took care of her husband. She ended up selling it to me for a dime, and I opened up the store with about 10 cents to my name and just ran with it."

Jill was born in Portland but grew up in Dallas, Texas. She later returned to the Pacific Northwest, where she attended Portland Community College and eventually earned her Bachelor's of Science degree in nursing. Her prior experience includes time spent in healthcare managing surgery and plasma centers and also working in retail, saying "I've just kind of jumped around, trying to find my way."

The Parkers moved to Columbia County in 2017 for Tom's job, and Jill spent a number of years managing a variety of health issues before she began volunteering at Hope until 2022 when she inherited the inventory from the prior owner.

"For the first six or seven months, I was just trying to figure out what I was doing," said Jill. "I think our work in the community has helped, and now we get people that come to us and we sell things super cheap because they know we don't mark up. When we buy things we buy blind, I just see a bunch of boxes and I offer a price, and then I just keep the prices low."

The selection of inventory is always rotating and features items such as home goods, jewelry, collectibles, antiques, clothing, and consignment items. Jill is also a supporter of local artisans, offering shelf space to local small-busineses like Wrae Beauty, which is now opening up a retail store of its own in Rainier. "I've also got a gal named Bella who makes handmade wax items that just fly out of here like crazy," said Jill. "Anybody comes in and they want to sell their wares, I do my best."

Community is at the heart of everything Jill does. Last year, she joined the Rainer Chamber of Commerce board of directors in an effort to help the town grow and promote more local businesses. "When I got the shop, it was basically just me and Hope," said Jill. "Now, we've got Bridgeway, Posh Resale, new Grocery Outlet owners, and Elevate Coffee & Decor. I just want to see our community grow."

Mee Maw's Attic is also a location for a summer school supplies drive hosted by United Way of Columbia County and the Rainier Chamber of Commerce to benefit the Rainier District. This is one of many initiatives and ways Jill seeks to give back. "We just love the community," she said. "From the day we opened the store, they supported us. One day in my first year, I said, 'Let's do a fundraiser for Hope,' and it went really well, so now that's an annual thing and anytime there's a raffle or sponsorship, we support that." Mee Maw's Attic is currently a summer-long sponsor of the Rivertime in Rainier concert series and is launching a new fundraiser in July to benefit the Rainier Senior Center.

"We love them," said Jill. "They do so much for everyone in the community. Its center is open to all ages. It's not the Senior Center, it's the Riverfront Center. They have an amazing gift shop and an amazing staff and they need help with Meals on Wheels..."

The Rainier Senior Center fundraiser kicked off July 1 and runs through Thursday, July 31. The fundraiser features a restored carousel horse as the raffle item. The item was originally donated through Lindsay Riggs, a friend, and Jill was unsure what to do with it but, upon picking it up, she had the idea to turn it into a fundraiser. Jill, with the help of a friend and local artist Maria Becker, as well as husband Tom, restored the carousel to its original condition.

Community members who would like to support the fundraiser can purchase raffle tickets for $2 each at Mee Maw's or at the Rainier Senior Center, located at the Rainier Riverfront Center on A Street, where it will be on display throughout the month.

"Sometimes the store's a hot mess, but there's only two of us, so we work pretty much seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and we just want to keep giving back," said Jill.

Mee Maw's Attic is located at 113 E 1st in Rainier and is open Wednesday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Tuesday). For more info, call 503-490-5213 or visit Mee Maw's Attic on Facebook.