Care & Share Thrift Shoppes Celebrate 40 Years of Sharing Resources, Volunteerism and Faith

Souderton, PA…Every so often, a fledgling idea based on love and compassion has the power to make a world of difference. Forty years ago, a group of women from churches in the Franconia Mennonite Conference, Eastern District Conference, and Brethren in Christ Churches transformed their dream of positively impacting lives into a reality. Their dedication and forward-thinking ability launched what has become known as Care & Share Thrift Shoppes, an independent, nonprofit organization that is part of the Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Shop Network.

Located at 783 Route 113 in Souderton, Care & Share accepts donated items for resale, including clothing, books, furniture, toys, antiques, tools, appliances and much more. Since Care & Share opened its doors, it has been able to donate over $14 million to Mennonite Central Committee, which has been used to support missions worldwide.

Forming a Solid Foundation

According to longtime volunteer Janet Vincent, the idea for Care & Share was born out of the Women’s Missionary and Service Commission in the early 1970s. During one of the Commission’s all-day planning sessions, the women decided they needed to try something unique to make a difference. Talk during that pivotal day centered on Canada, where the Mennonite churches were hosting thrift shops and selling donated items to raise money to help support their worldwide missionary work. Mrs. Vincent’s commission fell in the love with the idea and decided to explore it further.

The idea instantly had support from leaders within the church, who recognized it as an opportunity for everyone to serve. “The thrift shop was an answer to the long-standing question of how everyone in the church – regardless of their spiritual gifts – could contribute to the church’s mission of serving others,” said volunteer Wayne Clemens. “Now those who might find themselves called to action, but who were unsure how to contribute, had an immediate option available,” he said.

In pursuit of how to best implement their new idea, Janet Vincent and husband Norm Vincent, also a longtime volunteer, visited several thrift shops in both the United States and Eastern Canada. “I don’t know how many shops we visited, but we were gone about 10 days,” recalled Mrs. Vincent. “We got a lot of good ideas from that trip.”

It was in Kitchener, Ontario that a name for their budding thrift shop idea was found. “Kitchener was a very active community,” Mrs. Vincent said. “All of the shops they had were small but very productive.”

The Vincents were visiting with the owner of one of the Kitchener shops when she made the comment that in Kitchener, “…it’s nothing but caring and sharing.” As soon as Norm and Janet heard that, they knew that “Care & Share” would be the perfect name for their thrift shop.

A Search for a Home Begins

Once a name was developed, the next logical step was to find a space to run the shop. Norm Vincent found an old Roxy Drug Store with over 4,000 square feet they thought would be perfect located in what is now the Souderton Center. The owner of the property gave them a great deal on the space. “He said you can have the whole 4,000 square feet for what you’d pay for two,” said Mr. Vincent. “The opportunity was a true blessing.”

As the mission grew, so did the need for additional space. Care & Share has expanded several times at its current location in Souderton. The Shoppes have grown from 8,000 square feet to over 31,000 square feet in the last 40 years with expansion plans in the works.

Serving by Volunteering: Generation Helping Generation

With the opening of Care & Share came the ongoing need for volunteers. Many of the volunteers involved with the early days of the thrift shop had lived through World War II and the Great Depression. Having experienced historically hard times, they knew that items that were in good condition needed to be donated and found a new owner or home where they could be repurposed, instead of being discarded.

An unexpected visit from a woman and her children helped Care & Share fulfill its mission the night before its doors were officially opened recalled Mr. Vincent. “It was clear they didn’t have much, so we helped them get some clothing and things they needed from the store,” he said. This opportunity to serve had felt so rewarding. “We’ve been real grateful to be a part of the church,” Mr. Vincent added. “It has blessed our lives over and over.”

Mr. Vincent is not alone in feeling this true sense of purpose. This idea of serving by volunteering has inspired thousands of individuals to volunteer over the course of Care & Share Thrift Shoppes’ history. At present, Care & Share has 1100 volunteers, but the need for more continues to be a priority, explained Executive Director Sarah Bergin. “Just as Care & Share has come to be a true community treasure, our volunteers are also treasures. Simply put, we could not do this without them,” said Ms. Bergin.

Something for Everyone

When Care & Share first opened in the 1970’s, gently used clothing was the specialty. Over time, offerings have evolved and expanded to include multiple product categories.

Walk into Care & Share Thrift Shoppes and you will find:

· Clothing Shoppe – includes gently-used clothing for all sizes and all seasons;

· Book Shoppe – books, music and other media is available in this section and also is accessible through the online link on the website;

· eBay Shoppe – visit www.careandshareshoppes.org and view over 2,000 items awaiting your bid;

· Furniture Shoppe – furniture, small appliances, tools, artwork and more household items can be found here;

· Variety Shoppe – toys, antiques and housewares are available in this section as well as a Silent Auction program with items to bid on; and

· Outlet – discount pricing is available for the overstock merchandise, with most items being sold by the pound.

On the third Friday of each month, everything is marked 50 percent off. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and closed on Sunday. Donations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. A free pick-up service is available for furniture donations. People also have the ability to ship on Ebay.

Looking to the Future to Honor the Past with Expansion Plans

On the cusp of its 40th anniversary milestone, Care & Share Thrift Shoppes have been blessed with an unexpected opportunity: a vacancy within the shopping center has available retail space of 13,000 square feet. This extra space will enable Care & Share’s Clothing Shoppe to double in size in the months ahead. It will also allow for the construction of a Welcome Center, where people can learn about volunteering, donating and the charitable activities of Mennonite Central Committee. “We feel truly grateful that we have been given this opportunity to pay tribute to our past by supporting the fulfillment of Care & Share Thrift Shoppes’ mission over many, many years to come,” said Ms. Bergin.

About The Care & Share Thrift Shoppes

Care & Share Thrift Shoppes’ mission is to care for others and share our faith and resources locally and globally through Mennonite Central Committee in the name of Christ. Our vision is to make a difference in people’s lives in the name of Christ by becoming the thrift destination of choice. For more information, visit www.careandshareshoppes.org.

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