Erin McChesney lifts the lid on the green canvas bins on the porch of the Heavenly Finds Thrift Shop in Livingston. A never-ending supply of donations. She brings the donations inside, where volunteers begin sorting through them and determining what will sell in the Thrift Shop.
Erin, the shop manager, and a cadre of volunteers have been doing this for years. They sort through the bags, separating the cream of the crop and items they instinctively know will sell quickly. Among thrift shop devotees, Heavenly Finds (formerly a ministry of St. Peter’s, Livingston, and now a ministry of Holy Spirit, Verona) is known for its quick turnover and always having new items for sale. The Thrift Shop is located in the former rectory of St. Peter’s, Livingston and is on the campus of the new Episcopal Diocese of Newark Diocesan Center.
But what happens to the stuff they know won’t sell? Fear not, they have that covered, too. Every week, they send between 25 and 35 bags of clothing and household items to the United Breast Cancer Foundation. Each month, four to eight bags of items for children under age 4 are brought to North Porch Women’s and Infants Center. The same amount of bags of blankets and towels go to local animal shelters. The Pluckemin Medical Supply Ministry gets any medical devices and disposables. They bring gold and silver to a jeweler, who pays them on a per ounce basis – a far better price than they could sell them at the shop. And anything leftover, including clothes that are more than “gently used,” are placed in an on-site clothing bin. Erin says proudly, “It will only hit the garbage if it’s broken, cracked, chipped, ripped, moldy, stained or simply doesn’t work.”
With this careful curation, Heavenly Finds moves a decent amount of donations every time they open the doors for a four-hour window. Proceeds from the sale of donations support other local ministries and non-profit organizations, especially ones dedicated to food insecurity and at-risk children. In the Fall, support was given to every Episcopal Food Pantry within Essex County.
The vast majority of donations will not go to a landfill, but will be put to good use, whether they’re sold in the shop or sent elsewhere. Talk about sustainable!
Please leave donations in the green bins 24/7 (except Monday afternoons or Tuesday mornings) at 90 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston. Stop by if you are at the Diocesan Center when we are open. We are open most Tuesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Our final Tuesday of the season will be June 16 and then we’ll reopen in September. We do collect items through the summer.
All donations should be clean and in excellent, sellable condition. Place donations in the two large green bins, located on the porch of our shop.
We accept:
- Clothing: Men’s / Women’s / Juniors / Kids (size 6 and up), shoes, jackets, dresses, tops, sweaters, pants, sweats, dress shirts, handbags, jewelry, accessories; summer and winter clothing accepted year-round.
- Housewares: Knickknacks, coffee pots, small kitchen appliances, mixers, blenders, toasters, etc., glassware, dish sets, pots and pans, chargers, phone cases, bakeware, paper supplies, china sets, utensils, silverware, pictures, artwork, home and table decor, vases, hair dryers, beauty products, holiday items, games, puzzles, small toys, etc.
We cannot accept:
- Furniture, linens, bedding, car seats, books, large toys, large electronics, men’s suits, TVs, monitors, printers, or anything oversized. When in doubt, please ask!
For more information, visit our website (heavenlyfinds.org) or find us on Facebook (facebook.com/HeavenlyFindsThriftShop).
