Help Joanne Rossman Keep Her Store Alive

Dear friends. My charming, little retail gift shop – Joanne Rossman: Purveyor of the Unnecessary and the Irresistible – is in danger of closing. This store has been my world and the center of my community for more than 24 years.

I took a fall on black ice Wednesday evening and they have told me that I will be off my feet for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. Spiral fractures in my leg and a badly broken ankle will require surgery at the end of the month, followed by what I’m told will be significant rehab.

Thus far my spirits are fine; first shaken and now stirred. My left leg and I have more than a little experience with the break, operate and heal dance as it were. That said, I am currently unable to stand or walk, much less run my shop. I have one wonderful part-time employee, but she is scheduled for foot surgery of her own and I cannot afford to hire a full-time person…that is the reality of retail in 2025.

Now, I am no spring chicken. I am just turning 85 but my friends say that I have the energy of a 45-year-old. It is my goal to soon return to my shop with my pug Momo, welcoming friends and strangers who will become friends, listening to and telling stories well into my 90’s. I can’t bear the thought of losing my store.

So, I am dashing my pride and turning to you, darling friends, to help me over this hurdle.

Please contribute what you can so that I will have a store to return to when I rise like a phoenix in two months.

For those of you not familiar with me and my lovely shop:

Joanne Rossman: Purveyor of the Unnecessary and the Irresistible is at 6 Birch Street in Roslindale Village, Massachusetts. It the place to find the perfect gift; to have a friendly, spirited chat; to meet neighbors and make new friends. It is a stalwart fixture in a small village where small businesses struggle to survive.

I have always been an artist and maker of creative clothing, scarves, fanciful slippers, tote bags and more. People say I can spin a yarn or tell a tall tale, but what I really love is to hear other people’s stories. My shop has become a place that radiates warmth, charm, and joie de vivre. I am also an avid pug rescuer so you might also be greeted by Momo, an old rescue pug who can be found holding court on good days, or should we say, napping.

Voted “Best Neighborhood Shop” by Boston Magazine, my goal is to create playful and thoughtful arrangements of antiques, jewelry, fine art and funky art, books, cards, ribbons, candies, my signature scarves and slippers, and a wild array of irresistible unnecessaries.

I am sincerely grateful for the gift of community my store has given me. Please consider contributing whatever you can to help me keep it alive.