Addie Schlamp is in her 90s, and has been volunteering with the Thrive Thrift Shop for over 10 years!
“I first got involved with the shop the day I walked in with my friend Barb,” explains Addie. “They needed someone to work on Saturdays so I started to do that and the occasional Wednesday. It was definitely something new as I had never been in a thrift store before!
“The first thing I noticed was that there was A LOT of stuff in the back! In fact, there is a great selection of goods, and you can always find something new. It wasn’t long after I started that I found myself really enjoying meeting with the customers and listening to their stories.”
In fact, that’s part of what keeps it interesting for Addie: the people she meets.
“It feels like a family,” she says. “You get to know them personally and get to know them by name. Some of them have passed on since I started volunteering here.”
But there’s one customer who stands out.
“That would be Joe!” exclaims Addie. “Because he jokingly said that it took me too long to get back after breaking my shoulder.”
Addie’s friends and family were quite happy to find out she volunteers at Thrive.
“It gets me out (of the house) and keeps me active and social. In fact, I would advise anyone thinking about volunteering or donating to the store to just do it. It’s a great experience and a great feeling to be helping people in need.”
And what does she do when she’s not at the store?
“You’ll find me either gardening, playing bridge, visiting sick friends, or knitting.”
Thank you for all your dedication to our store and customers, Addie!
Did you know that Thrive Thrift Shop is completely run by volunteers? It takes about 100 volunteers a year doing over 2,000 hours of service to the store! That’s about 60,000 hours of donated time in the last 30 years! A round of applause for our caring volunteers!
