CAZENOVIA — The Key consignment shop, which has been part of the Cazenovia community since 1960, will close permanently on July 31 due to financial challenges.

A ministry of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the shop offers residents a place to purchase affordable, gently used clothes and household goods and to consign items.

Originally, The Key’s profits were used to fund the ministries of the women of St. Peter’s. Items were brought in and sold in the parish hall on Sundays.

Over time, the project’s purpose evolved, and its location changed multiple times.

Today, the shop is located at 66 Albany St., and its profits are put directly back into the community through grants for local organizations such as CazCares and Vera House.

“I was executive director of The Key for about [a year],” said Lorie Riedl, who held the position until December 2019 and now sits on the St. Peter’s vestry. “It was a wonderful, fulfilling experience as we were serving the community and St. Peter’s on several different levels. . . . Our 40-plus loyal volunteers created a caring and supportive atmosphere for our customers and consigners. Our consigners were able to make some money and also support a number of community organizations and St. Peter’s through the sale of their goods. Volunteers developed friendships that extended past their hours at The Key.”

St. Peter’s announced its decision to close the shop in a letter to the community signed by the church’s rector, Reverend Rebecca Roberts; Senior Warden McEwan Van der Mandele; Junior Warden Suzanne Evans; and vestry members Cynthia Curtin, Betsy Moore, Tim McCay, Tim Galbreath, Rick Lounsbury, and Riedl.

“We arrived at this difficult decision after much prayer, listening, and discernment,” the letter states. “. . . Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts, The Key has been operating at a loss for several years. This has created significant financial strain on our congregation, a reality which was only exacerbated by the pandemic.”

According to the letter, The Key could not afford to hire a new executive director after its last director resigned in early 2023, so the shop was left with only a manager and a part-time assistant manager.

“The deficit budget of The Key meant that we had to borrow from our church’s endowment to meet operating expenses,” the letter states. “Declining numbers of volunteers meant that we were trying to operate with a fraction of the required people to help the store run smoothly. The financial challenges we are facing have made it impossible to continue.”

The letter concludes by expressing that St. Peter’s looks forward to discovering new and impactful ways to serve and strengthen the Cazenovia community.

The church plans to honor the community and The Key’s staff and volunteers at a closing celebration. The details of the event have yet to be announced.

“It is never easy to say goodbye to something that has been a significant part of our church and community for so long,” Roberts said in the letter. “We are deeply grateful for the countless hours of service and the unwavering support from our volunteers, staff, and community members. While this is the end of an era, it also marks the beginning of a new chapter for St. Peter’s. We remain committed to our mission of sharing God’s love through caring for our neighbors and one another. We trust that this change will open new doors for us to serve and connect with our community in meaningful ways.”

To learn more about St. Peter’s, visit stpeterscaz.org.