A treasure of Palouse

PALOUSE — Recently, I had a chat with Bev Pearce about one of the gems of Whitman County—the Palouse Community Center. Located in Palouse’s downtown, it both serves and contributes to the city’s charm.

The Community Center has two areas of business: Needful Things, its thrift store, is in the front. The rear of the building houses the Event Center, a large community space equipped with a commercial kitchen. In addition to hosting the weekly Council on Aging’s Wednesday senior luncheon, the Event Center is a popular rental venue for weddings, bridal and baby showers, the Spring Craft Show, and a variety of other public and private events. Its commercial kitchen is also available to rent.

The original Community Center occupied the space that is now Open Eye Antiques, operated by Heidi Kite. During the planning stage of Needful Things, Bev visited the Thrifty Grandmothers’ Shop in Colfax to learn about its model, which she still considers “the gold standard.”

Prior to the current Community Center’s construction, the City of Palouse agreed to a 100-year lease at a $1 per year for the property, which has been paid in full. Today, Needful Things generates about $2,000 per month in revenue. A testament to its community support is that the majority of its dedicated volunteer staff is made up of people living in town.

As if the friendly helpful staff is not enough of a recommendation for a visit, the weekly Saturday $7 “fill a bag” promotion is, in particular, a bargain hunter’s dream. In addition, throughout the year, Bev and other volunteers refresh the store by rotating all the stock, encouraging loyal customers (like me) to return often to see “what’s new.” Vision meets reality in this gem of a place.