Thrift shop
thriving in
new location
By clare MARie celano
Staff Writer
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Dorothy Peterson, manager of the Hospital Thrift Shop, examines some of the clothing that is available at the store in the Rug Mill Plaza, Jackson Street.
FREEHOLD — The Hospital Thrift Shop, 20 Jackson St. in the new Rug Mill Plaza, had its grand opening in June, and according to manager Dorothy Peterson, "business is great."
"We’re doing well," Peterson said. "We’ve been receiving so many more donations since we’ve moved to this location."
Peterson said that since the store relocated from Throckmorton Street, where it had made its home since the early 1970s, people have been coming from all over New Jersey.
"We had more walk-ins at the Throckmorton location," she said. "Here, we seem to be getting people who normally shop at consignment shops. They’ve discovered our store."
The new location has seen the arrival of more designer donations and the design and atmosphere is a cut above the former location. There is plenty of room to display merchandise.
Peterson is aided by assistant manager Michelle Baker of Freehold and a staff of 30 volunteers who sort, steam, tag and arrange the tons of items that range from ladies’, men’s and children’s shoes to clothing for men, women, children and babies to housewares, furniture, pots, pans, dishes, china and glassware, even a silver tea set.
Peterson said the hospital thrift shop opened in 1968. According to printed material provided by the thrift shop, founding members of CentraState Medical Center had a dream. They envisioned a local hospital in their own neighborhood. Raising funds to fulfill this dream resulted in the establishment of a hospital thrift shop to benefit Freehold Area Hospital, now known as CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. The Freehold Area Hospital Auxiliaries opened the first thrift shop on Broad Street and called it the Economy Corner.
According to Peterson, the shop was operated for 34 years by volunteers only. Shortly after it was renovated in March 1993, the first salaried manager, Kathy Brandt, was hired, and she "turned the business around," according to Peterson.
"She brought leadership and direction to the business," Peterson said. "There was little consistency in pricing and stocking items before Kathy. They were actually thinking of closing the store. She changed all that and changed the outcome of the business."
Brandt retired in 1994, and Peterson has been continuing Brandt’s mission ever since. She’s been managing the thrift shop for eight years and was a volunteer for two years before that. She knows the business and she knows what sells and what doesn’t. Therefore, more designer items are making an appearance at the shop these days.
Divided up in sections like a tiny mini-mall under one roof, there are sections with clothing and shoes for men and women, a section just for children and babies and a housewares and furniture area as well.
There are baby toys, baby clothes and baby equipment such as a dressing table, a crib and infant carriers. Large toys and small toys find a temporary home here until a little person takes them home to play with.
There are items here that you might never think of shopping for at a "thrift" shop. A wedding gown, for example, with long sleeves crafted with sequins and beads and lovely openwork lace detail with a long embroidered train hangs on a rack with some others, all beautiful and all brand new. Donated by a local bridal shop, these beauties go for a fraction of their original $500 price. One tag read $75, another $45.
Other items include antique glass and dishware, china, ironstone and glassware.
The Hospital Thrift Shop is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Volunteers will gladly accept donations at that time. Peterson asks that donations not be left outside the store.