The Next-to-New Shop, 1960–2009:
A Window on the Neighborhood
In the 1950s, a dream was building in the mind of Helen Tharp of the Cathedral Church of Saint John in Wilmington, Delaware. Deeply aware and concerned over the increasing lack of contact between the Cathedral and its neighbors in the rapidly changing area around Concord Avenue and Market Street, Helen envisioned a continuing service project, a neighborhood store perhaps, to rebuild communication. She could also see reapplying the profits from the store to the needs of the area – perhaps a youth center or neighborhood house.
In 1960 the opportunity came. Sidney’s Men’s Clothing Shop, occupying a building owned by the Cathedral at 2009 N. Market Street, went out of business. Enlisting the backing of the Women of St. John, Helen went to the Vestry and asked for the use of the store, rent-free, to try running a resale shop. The Vestry agreed and advanced $250 for the purchase of the store fixtures and paint to spruce up the interior. The women decided to give up their other projects and concentrate on making the store a success. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew did the painting and muscle work. Donations of clothing and small household articles were solicited. The Next-to-New Shop was born.
The women developed the motto “make friends, not money.” They decided that any profits from sales would support upkeep of the shop, and any remaining funds would go back to the community by way of grants and gifts. Prices were kept low so that those in greatest need could buy the necessities of life for themselves without depending upon charity. Even so, the shop paid back the $250 borrowed from the Vestry by its next meeting. Soon the shop entered into a formal business arrangement with the Cathedral, paying rent, telephone and electric charges.
Polly Sutton and Alyce Hempstead took over the shop when Helen retired after six years. They were followed six years later by Phyllis Engler and Jean Harpham. During the summer of 1973, the shop’s exterior was redone in white stucco and blue trim and new windows were designed and installed. The Vestry’s remodeling money was soon recouped and a small corner of Brandywine Village had benefited from a facelift.
In the fall of 1977 Kit Haley and Marion Allison assumed leadership and successfully managed a boom period in the life of the shop. The shop was open six days a week, including Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. There were over 60 volunteers actively involved in staffing the front counter, and working behind the scenes, sorting, marking and organizing donations. At its highest point, the shop was making $35,000 in sales.
Next-to-New Shop Outreach Grants for the Period 1978-2009
Totaling $611,843 (Grant information unavailable 1961-1977)
- Cathedral Church of St. John and Cathedral Ministries $480,414
- Cathedral Career Counseling
- Cathedral Choir School of Delaware including Royal School of Church Music scholarships, choir uniforms, choir transportation, England Choir Tour
- Cathedral Community Services including monthly contributions and cashflow assistance
- Debnam House including Garden Project, Family Food Club/Table Talk, Summer Day Camp
- Discretionary Fund for Dean and Assistants
- Neighborhood Assistance Program including monthly contributions and in-kind donations of clothing and household goods for voucher redemption
- Rehabilitation / Renovations / Expansion costs including Cathedral parking lot, Cathedral handicap access ramp, Cathedral courtyard lights, 20th Street garage building replacement
- Next-to-New Shop property including ground floor shop premises and 2nd and 3rd floor rental housing renovations
- Salary and Travel Support for Priest Assistants and Canon Missioners
- St. John’s Socialization Group for Seniors
Other Ministries
Totalling $131,429
- AIDS Project
- Andrew’s Place/Andrew’s Breakfast/Friendship House
- Beechwood School
- Boy Scouts of America
- Camp Arrowhead Scholarships
- Clothing Bank of Delaware
- Contact Delaware
- Episcopal Relief and Development/Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief
- First Step/Jefferson Street/Hanover Presbyterian Child Center
- Friends of Delaware State Hospital
- Ingleside Homes/Episcopal Church Home Foundation
- Layton Home
- Memorials to various organizations in honor of volunteers
- Price Run Child Center
- Prison Bus Ministry
- Radio Broadcasts
- St. Michael’s Day Nursery
- Salvation Army
- Seamens’ Center
- Sojourner’s Place
- St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church
- Summer of Respect Youth Summer Program
- 1212 Corporation
- Wilmington United Neighborhoods
In 1982, the shop expanded when the Beechwood School next door at 2005 N. Market Street closed. The dividing wall between the two buildings was removed and carpeting installed throughout. An addition was built out back to create more marking room and storage space and the restrooms received new fixtures. Air conditioning was added thus enabling the shop to remain open during the summer months.
During the 1980s, donations increased considerably with the acquisition of a van for pickups. The shop was noted for its reliability and promptness in collecting donations from people’s homes. Relationships with local tag sale companies developed and the shop flourished. The shop built garage space around the corner on 20th Street to accommodate its van and large inventory of donations. The furniture room of the shop (formerly Beechwood School) was jam packed with beds and dressers, china closets, tables, chairs, sofas, stereo systems and televisions.
The sale of furniture made a marked difference in the money realized by the shop, helping to fulfill its ministry to the community. Income jumped, providing more money to return to neighborhood projects; more neighborhood people came into contact with Cathedral people, and low-cost goods were still being provided. Shop treasurer Irene Gongwer encouraged the shop to create an investment account with surplus monies not needed for shop upkeep and outreach and it is those funds that later sustained the shop through tough economic times.
The shop’s customer base extended beyond local residents to include city workers and thrift shoppers from the tri-state area. Volunteers included not only Cathedral parishioners but men, women and youth of other faith communities and local residents. The shop continued to be recognized as a place of hospitality for all who entered its doors.
The shop also upheld its long-standing tradition of supporting Cathedral and other community ministries. Significant contributions totaling over half a million dollars were distributed through outreach grants. Renovations to the Cathedral to support its community presence included the parking lot, handicap access ramps and outdoor courtyard lighting. During this time, Cathedral Community Services began a Neighborhood Assistance Program which was funded by the Next-to-New Shop. This program issued vouchers to those who could not even afford the low prices that continued to be offered on basic clothing and household items. The program also referred residents to local food pantries and provided bus tickets for medical appointments.
In 1990, Chris Winslow was hired as part-time manager to oversee operations. Kit Haley, Marion Allison, Jean Harpham and Mary Megee continued serving the shop in a leadership capacity as board members and as shop volunteers. Chris was followed by Judy Stanard and Leslie Acker-Rowe who each in their turn faithfully guided the shop over the next two decades. The shop expanded its ministry to the community by hiring local men to help with pickups and manual labor. Further improvements were made to the shop during Brandywine Village’s neighborhood revitalization efforts including another facade facelift, new shop signage and the installation of a fire system. The shop also benefited from new sidewalks and trees that were added to spruce up the neighborhood.
In 2003, with the retirement of shop treasurer Virginia Kimble, shop finances were computerized and the Cathedral assumed bookkeeping responsibilities. The shop continued to operate independently of the Cathedral budget. Increased operating costs and declining volunteer availability to staff the shop combined to create a period of reassessment. The cost of maintaining this ministry in the community began to far exceed shop sales. The shop made the painful decision to limit outreach grants in 2006 and to suspend them in 2007. In 2008, the shop discontinued donation pickups, sold the van, and stopped maintaining storage/garage space. The part-time manager’s hours were significantly reduced and hired help discontinued. The face of the local neighborhood had changed as well. Fewer young families visited the shop during its now limited daytime hours. Many customers were older, retired folk as were the majority of the shop volunteers.
The Cathedral Church of St. John and Cathedral Community Services began to consider a new use for this space. The Cathedral’s Debnam House had been successfully rented out to a local day care center and, in 2009, the Next-to-New Shop space was advertised for lease.
What an exciting journey this has been! What started out as a dream in the mind of one Cathedral parishioner grew to touch countless lives, as volunteers, donors and shoppers all joined together to make the Next-to-New Shop a reality for nearly 50 years. We give thanks to God for allowing this vision to take hold in our hearts and manifest itself through devotion and stewardship.
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