New Mexico Central

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.

The facility appears to be  efficiently run. There are no excesses.  For example, while the lounge area is clean, the chairs is some instances show signs of wear and in some cases are even patched with duct tape. The Storehouse is financially supported by local churches, civic organizations, and donations from private individuals. It also receives food donations from some retailers, as well as the New Mexico Roadrunner Food bank in Albuquerque.

As we were about to leave, our tour leader took us by a break area where the volunteers we had seen earlier were talking and laughing as they were about to cut a cake in celebration of one of the volunteer’s birthday.  Despite the fact that we were strangers, they invited us to stay and have some cake with them. We did remain with them for a delightful  twenty minutes.  Their enjoyment at  being together  was expressed  much like old classmates at a class reunion. I was to later find out that  many of the volunteers have been active at the Storehouse for more than ten years and  a few  even longer.  While I had been really impressed by the facility we had just toured, It suddenly dawned on me. The spirit, respect, and love shown by these caring volunteers for their work,as well as each other, is what makes Bethel Community Store House so successful. Linda Smith, the Director, is to be congratulated for nurturing such a positive work environment.

Since my visit I’ve done some research and learned the following:

1.  In a normal month the Storehouse helps and average of 1746 persons (745 families).

2.  Regular food assistance is provided to more than 800 people (over 270 families)

3.  The Storehouse provides  special assistance to seniors, disabled, and even emergency lodgings for families.

The above information just begins to describe their service to the community. As we now approach the end of the year, due to the negative economic situation, as well as the massive lay-offs  at the “Connection” call center, their ability to function is on the verge of being affected.  One of their food sources, the New Mexico Road Runner Food Bank, is currently inundated by the increased needs of the many similar organizations in Albuquerque. This has resulted in a drastic cutback in the support previously received, this at a time when the number of clients at the Storehouse is dramatically increasing.

In view of the above situation there is a need  for more monetary contributions as well as volunteers to help out at the Storehouse.  If you have the means to assist in either of these two areas or have any questions, you may want to call the Storehouse (505-832-6642) or drive by and visit these service-oriented folks. This is a worth while endeavor!

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Thursday, October 30th, 2008, by Bob Steiner and is filed under "Uncategorized ". You can leave a response here, or send a Trackback from your own site.