‘Mustard Seed’ bargains raise money for the community

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 22, 2024

The “Mustard Seed Thrift Store” is a unique shop, tucked away in the basement of All Saints Episcopal Church, at the corner of S.E. Woodstock Boulevard and 41st Avenue in the Woodstock neighborhood.

A few stairs on the west side of the building down into the basement lead to a few large spaces, and several small rooms which once served – a long time ago – as classrooms for church school.

These days the tiny rooms are each labeled, above the doors, to identify the merchandise for sale there: Room #1 is the art gallery, and the location for books on art, travel, fiction, sci-fi, history, and biographies. Room #2 is for mysteries – by many authors and in many settings. Room #3 is for seasonal items, crafts, and linens. Room #4 is a boutique, containing women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories.

The larger open spaces are filled with greeting cards – six for one dollar! – household items, small kitchen appliances, children’s books, toys and games, CDs, LPs, DVDs, clothes, glassware, jewelry, and seasonal decorations. The proceeds from all sales in the Mustard Seed fund community services provided by the church.

Sonja Miller, a church member and the volunteer Mustard Seed coordinator and manager, told THE BEE that – specifically – this money helps underwrite a number of community services that the church oversees, and also helps fund the new staff person who coordinates the recently opened Woodstock Food Pantry situated beside the church.

The rooms in the back, to the left upon entering the basement, are the “sorting rooms” where volunteers examine and price items. In addition, a church member named John Foyston is the “fixer” who can fix lamps within a week for a small price, and replace batteries in watches for $8.00. In the past, the Woodstock BiMart store replaced wrist watch batteries in watches, but that service is not currently offered.

Besides all the space devoted to the items for sale, one small room in the back of the Mustard Seed is called the “St. Francis Center”, and is filled with used clothing, shoes, socks, and toiletries for those in need who cannot pay. A big need in the winter is for used warm jackets and coats, jeans with waist sizes 32-35, gloves, men’s underwear, and new socks.

Warm clothing in good condition can be dropped off during Mustard Seed hours on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or on Wednesdays between 10 and 1 when the shop is being organized by volunteers.

The shop will be closed for Winter Break from December 18th to Jan 15th – however, items for the St. Francis Center can still be left with the church office staff on Tuesdays through Fridays during this recess, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.