MECCA: Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts — Attraction in Eugene

I'm a big proponent of mutual aid, community resources, and getting art supplies into the hands of people who may otherwise be excluded from participating due to socioeconomic barriers. That's why I like the idea of MECCA so much. But my visit today left a bad taste in my mouth. I want to stress that I do not leave this review lightly. I'm even leaving four stars instead of three because I don't want to harm any kind of algorithmic search engine optimization google may be using to decide where they present MECCA in users' search results.

A man approached me in the store and apologized for bothering me, then asked if he could have a quarter to give as a donation for some items he had found. He told me he had no money and was embarrassed to just take the items, despite them apparently being labeled as "free". I gave him the quarter, he politely thanked me, and went to stand in line. A staff member immediately approached me in a confrontational manner and told me that "panhandling" was not acceptable in the store. She seemed disinterested in what I had to say about the interaction, thanked me for my "generosity", and told me she would deal with him "politely but firmly" (if I'm recalling her wording correctly). In hindsight, the speed with which she approached me makes me think she had been following him around the store. I may very well be missing part of a bigger picture that this interaction falls into, but the overall impression I got from it was that community resources are only for people who don't look like they sleep rough. I doubt a staffer would have approached me and told me off if I had given my spare change to someone who looked more "respectable".

I don't want an apology for this interaction....

I normally don’t leave bad reviews, but I felt inclined to. I’ve been a customer for 5+ years and I’ve always had amazing experiences, but the past few times I’ve visited Mecca there’s been a specific worker who has made my experience not so amazing. The last time I visited I bought something that the cashier insisted was worth more than it was listed, and kept going on about how much it’s listed for online. I didn’t think anything of it and went on with my day. Today the same thing happened. I was going to purchase a dress pattern that was listed clearly for 2$ and when I went to check out the cashier told me she couldn’t sell it to me because it retails for 17$ and somebody mislabeled it, she told me she could maybe sell me it for 5$, but I declined that offer. If something is labeled 2$, aren’t you supposed to sell it for that price? Even if it was a misunderstanding? I’ve always shopped at Mecca to find art supplies for lower prices, why would I pay 17$ for a pattern that I found for 2$ at a secondhand store... The person working cash register both experiences has short dark hair and moons tattooed on their chest, there’s no name tags so I...

MECCA is making a meaningful impact on the lives of the people of Rise and Shine! Our day program supports adults in the I/DD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) community in living their best lives. MECCA has generously donated their classroom to our Art Club twice a month! Here, our clients are able to relax into a safe, sensory friendly space where they can let their imaginations soar and play with a smorgasbord of unique, complimentary art supplies. It has been so beautiful to witness the blossoming of their artistic spirits and this would not have been possible without MECCA's support and generosity. Some of our clients are non/low-verbal communicators and this has given them a way to express themselves in beautiful shapes, colors and textures!

Extending a HUGE, heart-felt thank you from the Rise and Shine Community! The staff is so warm, welcome and compassionate and the store is an absolute wonderland for creatives! I am so grateful that this place exists and is ran by such...