By Forks Forum Editor

After 15 years of leading Sarge’s Veteran Support, founder and Executive Director Cheri Tinker has announced she will be stepping down and relocating to Oregon to be closer to family, marking the end of an era for the nonprofit that has played a central role in addressing veteran homelessness on the Olympic Peninsula. Tinker shared the news in a heartfelt letter posted to social media on Feb. 4.

She also wanted to be clear and shared with the Forks Forum that with this change just “The Attic” thrift store will be liquidated and sold. “We own four properties in Forks, and I don’t want folks to think we are selling the shelter,” Tinker stated. That mission will continue with some changes.

“The time has come for this new chapter in our lives, and while bittersweet, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead, both for us personally and for the organization we have all built together,” Tinker wrote.

Sarge’s Veteran Support will now begin a search for a new Executive Director, who will be based in Port Angeles. According to Tinker, the move reflects a strategic shift to serve a broader geographic area more effectively.

“We’ve done a good job over the years of helping to reduce Veteran homelessness on the West End, and we need to be more centrally located in Port Angeles so that we can serve the West End, Sequim and the eastern part of Jefferson County as well,” she told the Forks Forum.

Financial realities force difficult decisions

Tinker reiterated that the organization will look to sell just one building, the former VFW Hall, and close its retail operations in that building as of February 28, citing ongoing financial losses. “We have tried a new location and increased our inventory, but we just weren’t making enough money to break even, and our Board of Directors has made the painful decision to close our doors.”

“We were $28,000 in the hole last year,” she said. “People need to have a sense of the bills that come with owning a large building, insurance, employee costs, marketing, utilities, a new roof, all the different things you have to do. We’ve put $200,000 into the property, and it’s not making money for us, plain and simple.”

Tinker told the Forks Forum, “I want to clearly state that we were losing money and it wasn’t cost-effective for our nonprofit to keep it open. A financial consultant was hired, and they recommended that we close it.””

“You can’t pay the bills when some days you bring in $50. It’s not cost-effective,” she said.

New focus: shelter and housing

With the sale of the Forks building, Sarge’s plans to reinvest in direct services. The nonprofit is currently remodeling its Ash Avenue shelter into transitional housing, a project two years in the making, and is developing plans for a new small shelter in Port Angeles, including housing for women veterans.

“With the funds that we can earn from the sale of the building, we can use them for operating dollars and to move forward with the development of a shelter in Port Angeles for men and women Veterans,” Tinker said.

In her letter, she emphasized that the organization’s mission remains unchanged.

“Our mission remains unchanged: serving the vulnerable Veterans of the Olympic Peninsula with shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing,” she wrote.

A personal goodbye

Along with leaving Sarge’s, Tinker also announced she is resigning from both the Peninsula Housing Authority and the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force, where she has served for 19 years.

Reflecting on the financial struggles and the decision to close the store, Tinker was candid about the emotional toll.

“I hate the closing of the store, we know how much it is counted upon by households throughout Forks and the bargain hunter alike, it truly saddens my soul to see it go. But it is time for the viability of our agency to liquidate the holdings in the store, sell the building and re-invest the monies into the future for the nonprofit.”

Despite the challenges, Tinker says she leaves with pride in what has been accomplished.

“The past 15 years have been the honor of my life,” she wrote. “The lives changed, the hope restored, the Veterans served, it’s a testament to your generosity, faith, and partnership.”

As Sarge’s Veteran Support enters a new chapter under future leadership, Tinker says she remains confident in the organization’s future.

“I am confident that with your continued support, Sarge’s Veteran Support will thrive and grow in the years to come,” she wrote.