California church thrift shop has been caring and sharing for 33 years
CALIFORNIA – Betty Copenhaver and her husband, Cliff, were vacationing in Deep Creek, Md., in the mid-1980s when they came across a store in the county seat that they hadn’t yet explored. The couple liked to walk Oakland’s charming main street and were familiar with the shops. This one, though, was new.
“I said, ‘Why don’t we go in and look around?'” Betty recalled.
The shop, it turned out, was a thrift store. The volunteer working that day explained to the Copenhavers that the money earned there was used to benefit the adjacent church.
For Betty, the operation was an inspiration.
“I said to my husband, ‘That’s it!’ Our church had been having financial problems. The mills were laying people off. Bad times were in the (Mon) Valley” Betty said. “I thought that if we opened a thrift shop, it would help us pay the bills while helping people.”
When they got back from vacation, Betty pitched the idea to the California United Methodist Church council. Betty’s first proposal was rejected, but the endorsement of then-pastor George Dran’s wife, Sandy, provided the support she needed.
“I looked at her and she got a grin on her face. She said to everybody, ‘Let’s do it,'” said Betty. “That’s how we got started, thanks to the pastor’s wife.”
In 1985, the Care and Share Thrift Store was born.
From left, Eleanor Rook and Delaine Edwards fold bedding to be sold.
“It turned out to be blessed by the Holy Spirit. We’ve lasted 33 years, helping people,” Betty said.
Volunteers – mostly church members and a few California University of Pennsylvania students – run the store and survive on donations. A team gathers every Monday to sort items that were donated over the previous week, most dropped off in a large, wooden box outside the church. They decide what to keep for sale and what to donate to Salvation Army.
Thursday mornings, another team prices and puts out new inventory, and a crew of about 12 work as salespeople during shopping hours.
Natalie Reid Miller/Observer-Reporter
Doloris Platter affixes a price tag to a donated wedding dress.
The store, which is set up and torn down every week, is neat and organized, thanks to volunteers who sort clothing by type and size. Inventory is rotated weekly, so regular customers always find new things, said volunteer Doloris Platter, a retired nurse.
In addition to clothes and shoes, the shop has accessories, housewares, toys, greeting cards and books. Though not in regular stock, furniture is sold once a year, during a September sale.
Some items are brand-new, with the tags still attached, while most are gently used.
“People needed less-expensive clothing and items when we opened, and that’s still true,” said Platter. “We have regular customers, but we also get a lot of new customers every week.”
The Rev. Dawn Hargraves said that in addition to offering inexpensive goods, the store provides an opportunity for socialization.
“It builds community relationships. Some of the shoppers have a good relationship with the volunteers that work,” she said. “Socialization is a vital part of living well. When someone with a lower income can’t have dinner out with friends because they’re on a budget, or don’t have a car, this provides a great opportunity.”
Another aspect of the shop that Hargraves appreciates is the positive impact is has on the environment.
Doloris Platter, left, and volunteer Marty Liberatore price baby clothes in one of the store’s showrooms.
“I did a little rough math and projected we salvage nearly 100 tons of merchandise a year, keeping it from landfills,” said Hargraves.
Hargraves is also proud that the store provides free items to those in need.
“We’ve had women with children who couldn’t afford clothing, families that have been victims of house fires, people experiencing flooding, and we’ve been able to replace those items,” she said. “It’s just a remarkable endeavor, and I’m still blown away that it’s gone on for over three decades, thanks to a group of folks who volunteer.”
Volunteers donate not only their time, but necessary items like hangers and bags. The thrift store operates without a budget, and all of the earnings benefit the church.
Copenhaver estimated that the store brings in about $1,000 a month.
“It’s been a blessing,” she said. “I’m glad we’ve kept it up.”
The Care and Share Thrift Store, located at 227 Third St., California, is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. For information, visit www.californiaumc.weebly.com or call 724-938-2270.