Celebrating a donation of time: Working to alleviate poverty

Cory Suter, Nueva Vida Norristowncorysuter@gmail.comFour mornings a week, Clara Mae Panczyk gets up early, prays that her car will start and journeys across town to Crossroad Gift & Thrift. Half an hour before even the manager arrives, Clara Mae is hard at work. At over 80 years of age, her hands are still nimble as they fly through a marathon of donations each morning. Clara Mae is one of a number of committed volunteers who make the ministry and vocation of Crossroad possible. We are highlighting her story because of her generous decision to sacrifice personal material comfort in order to bless others.

Just like the other 107 Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) thrift stores in Canada and the United States, Crossroad Gift & Thrift exists to serve the local community, keep good merchandise out of landfills and contribute any profit to MCC’s world wide work. As a store, we serve locally to reduce poverty globally. Clara Mae has caught a hold of this vision and works tirelessly at the store for at least ten hours every week.

Once Clara Mae finishes her trek across Norristown, Pa., she may pick up another volunteer, or just stand for a minute outside the store admiring the attractive display before slipping inside the door. Walking past the inviting racks full of handmade comforters, new greeting cards and international crafts, Clara Mae flips on the light switch and heads to the back of the store. In the workroom she finds two boxes of donations placed conveniently in front of her work desk.
Before sitting down, Clara Mae starts a pot of fresh coffee brewing. As the aroma of coffee begins floating through the work room, she gets quickly to work examining donated articles of clothing, pricing them and putting them on hangers, or placing them in a box for MCC.

By the time Clara Mae hears John Meage and me opening up the store and arranging an outdoor display, she is nearly done with the two big boxes. Soon John, the International Volunteer from Indonesia through MCC’s International Volunteer Exchange Program, comes back to practice his conversational English skills and help Clara Mae get down a box full of socks donated from the Souderton (Pa.) Care & Share Shoppes.

Clara Mae hardly has time to maneuver through the full racks in the clothing department when Pastor Fred from the Hospitality Center arrives with several boxes of day-old pies, pastries and breads. Clara Mae helps John arrange the baked goods for low income customers while I talk with the first customers of the day. As customers catch up on the local news and make their goodbyes, Clara Mae makes sure they don’t leave without a free loaf of bread or container of cookies.

Meanwhile, Clara Mae has returned to sock matching, connecting and pricing. She welcomes customers to the store with a warm greeting, even when they are smelly and homeless. Lots of people come by the store several times a week just to be at a place where they are treated with respect. Clara Mae has been known to share Grandmotherly advice and even provide transportation to a desperate customer or volunteer.

She will spend the rest of her morning pricing new donations, organizing merchandise and providing personal customer service. Clara Mae is one of several volunteers who come to Crossroad Gift & Thrift four days per week to work to alleviate poverty.

Even though many of these highly committed volunteers do not attend Mennonite churches or make any claim to be Mennonite, they have all caught the infectious Mennonite spirit of service, stewardship and international thoughtfulness.

Instead of working to make money, so she can buy a nicer vehicle or more comfortable lifestyle, Clara Mae gives away a significant portion of her time to the ministry of Crossroad. May each of us be inspired and continue to find similar ways to be a blessing.

photo by Cory Suter