LI Clothing Store Owner Finds Ways To Help In Times Of Crisis

PATCHOGUE, NY — Long Island has begun Phase One of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's reopening plan after meeting all the metrics this week, but some local businesses are still adjusting to the changes since the coronavirus pandemic hit. After the clothing and home decor retail store Thred, located on 7 Village Green Way in Patchogue, was forced to shut down in March, owner Merav Shiloni immediately went into "survival mode."

"When we were mandated to close it started off as a panic-driven 'how am I going to survive? How is my business going to survive?'" she told Patch.

She adjusted to the changes as best she could, beginning with fixing her website for her store, which opened in October 2017, and working on advertising that she was still offering online orders and making deliveries.

Photo courtesy of Merav Shiloni

"The turning point for me was when face masks were needed," she said.

Since Shiloni also offers free alterations at her business, she is used to doing a lot of sewing. So she decided to make some masks and donate them to local hospitals, doctors offices, police departments and other organizations who needed them. Doing this brought a "little recognition" to Shiloni and her business.

"In an interesting way, I've had more eyes on my business than I did before," she said.

After that she decided to put them on the website for the general public, but with each purchase will also donate one to a frontline worker. So far, Shiloni has donated over 1,000 masks. The masks have mainly gone to the nearby Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue, but workers from Mt. Sinai Hospital, Stony Brook University Hospital, Southside Hospital in Bay Shore and Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip also received donated masks as well.

"Whoever asked me for them got their masks," Shiloni said.

In addition, she has also been collaborating with Handmade Market to sell t-shirts that say "Stay Home" inside an outline of Long Island. A portion of the proceeds for those shirts then go to benefit the United Way of Long Island.

Photo courtesy of Merav Shiloni

Shiloni says she the Patchogue community has been very supportive in helping her. While the store has been closed, Thred is still offering gift cards, curbside pickup and free no contact delivery to local residents.

"I think it's important to keep relevant in people's mind," Shiloni said. As the local businesses, we are the heart and soul of your towns where we support you and your children and community events and a business like mine, you can lean on us during these times and we do our best we can to survive so we can open our doors.

It wasn't difficult for Shiloni to step up and help during the coronavirus crisis. She has already been working to constantly raising awareness or funds, even before the pandemic hit. For example, every year she hosts a fashion show to raise money for breast cancer awareness. This year, the event is set to take place in October, and Shiloni hopes to be able to host it once again. In the meantime, she will continue doing her part for the Patchogue community and frontline workers.