While still residing in Wisconsin, Clint Wentz of the Village of Virginia Trace had an interest in assisting others. As a way of giving back since relocating to The Villages, he spends a considerable deal of his time working at a thrift store.
Clint Wentz wants to help others and wanted to assist with Bargains and Blessings.
After discovering this passion while residing in Wisconsin, one of the first things he did when he relocated to The Villages was hunt for a place to volunteer.
“I found my passion for it when I was in Wisconsin,” said the Village of Virginia Trace resident. “We did similar things in Milwaukee. I just like helping people and doing things wherever there is a need.”
Bargains and Blessings, a thrift store run by the New Covenant United Methodist Church in Wildwood’s Helping Hands Outreach Ministry, is searching for volunteers to support out at the intake center and throughout the store. The store is located at 301 N. Main St. in Wildwood.
They are searching for residents who are passionate about assisting others in need. The thrift store benefits several nonprofit organizations, including Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties Inc. in Leesburg, which assists domestic violence victims and their families; Kids Central Inc. in Wildwood, which assists foster kids and prospective adoptive parents; Shepherd’s Lighthouse in Belleview, which assists single homeless women and their children; and Forward Paths Foundation in Leesburg, which assists single homeless women and their children.
“Every day I come into the store — and I am here about five days a week — there is always something new,” Wentz said. “I work in the intake center, and I mainly work with the electronics, but I like that cause it makes me feel like I’m doing something useful.”
Susan Merrill, the store’s manager and a Leesburg native, began working there on March 1.
“I worked in a store similar to this once before,” she said, “but I love this store because of the people here. It’s a self-spirited environment, and the people around here are so giving.”
Merrill claims that the volunteers are responsible for the store’s success.
“A lot of them have been here since the beginning like five or six years ago,” she said.
Kathy Chapel, of the Village of Osceola Hills at Soaring Eagle Preserve, said she enjoys shopping in the store. “It’s a great place to shop and donate,” she said. “I love this store. You never know what you are going to find, and I love that. Plus, you are helping so many individuals who need help.”
The talk of the volunteers working throughout the store, according to Wentz, is one of his favorite aspects of working there.
“I love hearing others talk,” he said. “We are usually discussing the merchandise and going through the donations to see if we can set them aside to help an organization or if they would do better in the store. There are talks that the store is going to expand, and that’s really cool because it’s going to help more people.”
Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 352-330-3333 for additional information about the store or to volunteer.
– Attributed Source, The Villages of Daily Sun
