Boomerangs, local thrift stores dedicated to AIDS care, to close in June

Boomerangs thrift stores, with locations in Boston's Jamaica Plain and South End as well as Cambridge's Central Square, will be closing in June.

Fenway Health, which has operated the stores since 2013, announced the decision on Tuesday, citing financial hardships. In a statement, Fenway Health said the stores are no longer accepting donations, and specific closing dates will be decided soon.

Boomerangs was started by AIDS Action, now a part of Fenway's Public Health Division, to support HIV care and services in the mid-1990s, with its first storefront on Canal Street in Boston.

"For nearly 20 years, Boomerangs was an amazing success story, but for the last six years, it has seen significant financial losses," Fenway Health officials said in a statement. "Fenway simply cannot continue to absorb those losses year after year, so we have made the difficult decision to close Boomerangs."

The stores allowed AIDS Action to raise funding that goes solely toward its mission to prevent new infections, support those affected or at risk, and tackle the root causes of HIV/AIDS, according to Boomerangs' website.

"We want to thank our Boomerangs customers, donors, and especially our dedicated and loyal staff over the years we have been in operation," Fenway Health said in a statement. "Your contributions have helped to make thrifting with Boomerangs a unique and special experience, and we will miss being a part of the neighborhoods our stores are in and the larger community."