Editors note: This is the second article in a series of articles about ways to repurpose materials to keep them out of landfills and help them find a second life in honor of Secondhand Clothing Awareness Week. Check back for more articles in this series.
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary Shoppe in Marion is a great option in Marion County for both finding great bargains and for donating items not needed any longer that still have a lot of life left in them.
According to nationaltoday.com, one-quarter of Americans shop at thrift stores. In comparison, only 21% of them shop at a major department store and 19% shop at an apparel store. While many think only those who are financially challenged shop at thrift stores, there’s no ‘typical’ customer at thrift stores. Even among the rich or middle class, many people enjoy the thrill of saving money while discovering a hidden treasure.
Thrift stores, like St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary Shoppe, make it easier to dress kids who quickly grow out of clothes as you can to find high-quality children’s clothing in excellent condition for a few dollars.
Or you can get high-end, name-brand clothing for low prices that you can’t find anywhere else.
“The donations we get in are so generous. We have Coach. We have Ugg. We have Patricia Nash, Michael Kors and more as far as handbags and other items,” said Manager Mary Ann Conyers. “Our donors are able to have a place here to get rid of good things and our customers are able to get the good things at a price they can’t find anywhere else.”
All profits go to St. Luke Hospital for equipment, remodeling expenses and other extras not in their budget.
“All the money goes back to departments of St. Luke Hospital. Any of the department heads can come down to our board meetings once a month on the second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. and request things. They usually have done their homework and they usually get a couple of bids for us, and then we can approve the purchase if we can,” said President of the Auxiliary Board Janet Herzet. “We gave $25,000 the end of last year for the building project, and we have pledged a total of $75,000. From 2017, until the end of October, we’ve given a million dollars worth of equipment to St. Luke.”
The shop, which opened on Dec. 29, 2005, across the street from their current location on Main Street, is and always has been run completely by volunteers.
“There’s no paid salaries or anything for any of us. We have about 90, maybe even a little more, volunteers that help out, And they come when they can. Certain days like on Mondays and Tuesdays from eight until noon, that’s when we’re stocking shelves and getting things ready for the weekend,” said Herzet. “We belong to the Hospital Volunteers of Kansas and we’ve received the gold award for many years thanks to all of our volunteers.”
Conyers has been volunteering for nine and a half years and enjoys the family of volunteers they have built at the shop.
“It is just a little community. We work it and it gives us something to do with our hearts for the hospital. And we are here for the community. If someone has a fire disaster, we give to them. Same with prisoners. If they’re getting ready to leave, if they need clothes or a backpack or something to put their stuff in, we’ll do that. And the schools’ costumes, or elementary winter coats, we just give to the whole community. When people have tough times, we’ll help ’em out.” said Conyers. “We love it. I do—otherwise I wouldn’t still be here. This place wouldn’t run without the volunteers. We need everybody. we love to visit with the customers. And no one gets paid a thing.”
Conyers said they are selective in what they put out in the store from donations. The clothes they don’t need to or can’t put out for sale in the shop, they donate to several other donations including Showers Up and Deuteronomy.
Showers Up is for the homeless and is located in Wichita as well as other locations across the country. They have portable showers they set up near a church on Central once a week where the homeless can come in there and get a clean shower. And then they get to choose clean clothes from donations from the shop to put on.
Deuteronomy is another organization the shop donates clothing to for teenagers.
“We take the teenagers things that we don’t sell and give to them and they donate those to teenagers,” said Conyers. “And then we also take things to Butler Initiative and El Dorado for the homeless.”
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary Shoppe is located at 321 E. Main St. in Marion. They are open for shopping on Fridays from 12-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Donations are accepted while volunteers are there during shopping hours as well as on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 a.m.- noon. Ring the doorbell in the back of the shop to leave donations. The number is 620-382-2177.
