Archive for October 30, 2008
Not Your Normal Thrift Store!
By Bob Steiner
Over the past several years many of us have taken used clothing and other donations to  the Bethel Community Storehouse in Moriarty.  The “Storehouse” has an impeccable reputation for assisting those valley residents who number among the “less fortunate” and has been around for some twenty two years. In the past I had always noticed how  clean and orderly the store appeared. The used clothing for sale was always neatly hung. The used book section was organized and the furniture on display always appeared to be freshly-dusted. No matter when I was there, it always seemed to be a “well-run” operation (What more can a person say about a thrift “retailer”?) and up until now I had no reason to give this activity any more thought.
Last Monday, with friends in the car, I  wanted to stop by the store and drop a donation off. Unfortunately, arriving at the store parking lot we found the store to be closed.  We had forgotten to check the operating hours and on Mondays, it seems, this is when a lot of the “behind the scenes ” work gets done.  Nonetheless, seeing a young man coming out of a side door, we approached him and asked if there wasn’t some way we could go inside. He smiled and escorted us in. We soon were talking to Linda Smith, a pleasant lady, who happens to be the facility director. We gave her our donation and were on the verge of leaving, when she proceeded to give us a guided tour of the building.
She first brought us to a large  processing area where some twenty or thirty volunteers were sorting clothing and other donations. The workers seemed to be in a jovial mood and were laughing and joking among themselves as they worked. We were then shown a “warehouse area” where we found shelves of dried foods and canned goods neatly stored in family sized boxes, ready to hand out to those in need. She pointed towards a massive refridgerator for fresh foods and then led us to the administrative area. Here, persons requesting assistance can be interviewed in an “office” environment while other family members wait in a large lounge area. »» Not Your Normal Thrift Store!