Stonington — For more than a decade, a group of borough residents has quietly helped Tom’s News stay afloat by making monthly payments for items and providing other financial support.

But after the store lost $30,000 last year, the group is now reaching out to the community and asking supporters of the Water Street shop and owner Tom Rezendes to increase their contributions in an effort to keep the borough institution in business.

Rezendes has run the newsstand since 1997 and before that, it was run by the late Frankie Keane for more than a half century.

During this time, it has been the place where residents picked up their newspaper and incidentals and talked about the latest town happenings with Keane and now Rezendes.

One of those leading the effort to help the store, borough resident Juan O’Callahan, said that for the past three years things have gotten harder for Rezendes and other borough merchants, especially in the winter when more and more part-time residents leave for several months.

“I’ve always thought that this type of shop is vital to the borough. Similar shops have disappeared in places such as Noank and Old Mystic,” he said. “The one shop we want to stay open is Tom’s. It’s the center of gossip, a place where people meet to talk. It’s kind of the lifeblood of the borough.”

Currently some supporters pay $100 a month for incidentals and coffee and Rezendes gets to keep any money they don’t use. O’Callahan said that is the case for pretty much everyone who makes the payments. Rezendes said the payments help him better plan and budget for upcoming months.

In a letter to “friends” of Tom’s, O’Callahan, along with residents Betty Richards, Scott Muller and Jim Quinn, wrote that they are trying to raise an additional $15,000 to get Rezendes through the upcoming winter.

In order to do this, the letter writers are asking that those who make $100 monthly contributions consider making a lump sum annual payment of $1,200 or a sum to cover the months they want.

They also asked supporters to increase their donations or holiday gifts to Tom’s, increase their patronage of the store and share the request with other residents because the “time for action is now.”

O’Callahan added those who now make $100 monthly payments are being asked to increase the payments to $200.

“In order to remain a viable, livable (as contrasted with summer resorts that are viable but not livable) we believe it is critical that we retain, and as necessary support, those services that help make our village what is,” the group wrote in its letter. “Tom’s News & General Store is, in our view, one of those services.”

O’Callahan said the letters recently were placed in newspapers that customers pick up at the store and emails sent out to borough residents.

He said supporters also are spreading the word about the “wide variety” of items they can buy at Tom’s.

“I was kind of shocked when they came in and spoke to me. They said they wanted to reach out and help a little more,” Rezendes said. “I’m happy they’re involved and thinking of the store.”

O’Callahan said that he eventually sees the store operating as some type of cooperative with the community.

j.wojtas@theday.com