Have there been times when you have arrived at Care & Share and found that your normal work was not ready for you?  We acknowledge that this occurs occasionally.  Perhaps the merchandise that you normally tag or restock is already completed, or the sorting has been completed.

The period from late January through the second half of March is historically a slower time for donations.  This winter has been no different.  During February and March, we have been “caught up” in household goods and toys, processing them nearly as soon as they are received.  We continue to have a healthy backlog of clothes and linens, and we are using this time to work down the backlog and get the products into the shoppes.  We know through our discussions with other thrift shops, both MCC-related and other, that they too have faced a few lean months of donations.  Like us, they have clothing and linens but could use more items representing kitchen, decor and toy use.

On a positive note, we are already noticing in recent weeks an uptick in the donation volume.  For this we are grateful and as the weather warms, we fully expect to see the pace continue to increase.  In the meantime, we appreciate your flexibility.  If you arrive to find your area with no immediate work, our managers would love to have you help in a different way - there is always much to do!

Some of our volunteers have asked if Care & Share has changed our approach to our business.  Specifically, they have wondered if we have deemphasized the volunteer model and chose to expand the level of paid staffing.

The Administration Team and our Board of Directors want to firmly say that our business model has not changed!  We are a volunteer-driven organization, and our strategy and plan has not changed.  In recent years, with the growth in donation volume, coupled with a decrease in overall volunteer hours, we were faced with the necessity of expanding our staff base.  This was accomplished primarily through the introduction of the Seasonal Production crews in Clothing and Variety.  These additions were not taken lightly, but were done out of necessity to meet our customer demand for our merchandise and to keep the products moving.  

The evening crews are specifically working when most of our volunteer force has completed their shifts for the day.  Working from 4 to 8 PM, we have a dedicated group of seasonal employees who sort, tag and restock.  Their work is not to replace our volunteers but to supplement it. Our long-range goal is to rebuild the volunteer base to reduce the need for seasonal crews.  This is why our volunteers, both long-serving and new, are vital to our continued success.  

The evening crew is a diverse group, including high school, college, adults, and seniors.  What they have in common is a desire to do a good job while here.  Many are learning job skills and how to operate in a business/work environment.  Some have ties to Mennonite Central Committee, either family or their own service.  See the MCC Moment in the March 31, 2023 newsletter to learn about one of our Variety crew and her “MCC Famous” ancestors.

The Seasonal crews are here for a limited time before moving on due to school and family demands; there is a lot of ongoing training that occurs. There may be times you find that what is done in the evening is not completed the same way it may be done in the past.  The evening supervisors are working hard to meet everyone’s expectations, and we appreciate your patience when things may not be quite as expected.  

We have found that our evening crews enjoy meeting the volunteers, especially when they come in for Volunteer Happy Hour or if the volunteers are present after 4 PM.  So feel free to say hello and introduce yourself if you are here during their shift!  

Thanks for all you do…Care & Share would not be a success without YOU!

Care & Share Thrift Shoppe welcomes four Board Members, who round out an 11-member Board that oversees the operations of the Care & Share Thrift Shoppes. Commenting on the new appointments, Sarah Bergin, Care & Share Thrift Shoppes’ Executive Director stated, “Our organization continues to be blessed by Board Members who are dedicated to serving our local community and raising funds for our charity, Mennonite Central Committee.  I am excited to see how they will use their talents and life experiences to continue enriching our organization.”  

Born and raised in our region, Ron Bergey is known for his innovation and creativity. He is the CEO of Bergey’s Electric, a 3rd generation family business.  He is a firm believer in using resources carefully, which aligns with the mission of Care & Share. Ron and his wife, Becky, attend Line Lexington Mennonite Church. He desires to see Care & Share reach its full potential, with the purpose of serving God, our people, our community, and beyond.

Eric Connor has lived in the Indian Valley for the last 30 years. He has worked at Merck and Univest in information technology and senior leadership roles during these years. Eric also serves as a Grand View Health Foundation board member, chairing the technology committee, and served as an elder and adult Bible teacher in the churches he has attended over the years. Currently, he is a member and serves at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia. Eric's wife serves as a Book Shoppe volunteer at Care & Share, and he looks forward to bringing his administrative and executive leadership experience in supporting Care & Share’s future.

Roger Kurtz is Professor and Head of the Department of English and Philosophy at Drexel University in Philadelphia.  He attends Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton, where his wife, Sonya Stauffer Kurtz serves as the lead pastor.  Supporting the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is particularly important to Roger.  He was born and grew up in East and Southern Africa, where his parents were long-term MCC workers, and as an adult he has served with MCC in Kenya and Ethiopia.  He is inspired by Care & Share’s vision of serving both the local community and the world.