The History of the St. Patrick's Thrift Shop

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED

Appliances

Children’s Board Games

Computers, Cameras, Phones

Curtains, Drapes Shades & Rods

Hard Cover Books, EXCEPT Cookbooks

Hospital Items i.e., Walkers, Commodes, Crutches, etc.

Lamps

Large Furniture

Large Pieces of Silver Plate

Men’s Clothing

Photo Albums

Ski Boots & Poles

Stuffed Toys

St. Patrick's Thrift Shop
457 Magnolia Ave.
Larkspur, CA 94939
Telephone 415-924-5393

Hours 
Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM.

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Enter lower School Yard from Locust Avenue

CONGRATULATIONS!

St. Patrick Thrift Shop Volunteers Celebrate 25 Years
of Dedication and Service to the Parish Community!

November 16, 2010

Its hard to believe that it has been twenty-five years since Fr. Shanahans inaugural comment, But what happens when we run out of stuff?  Little did he or anyone else know back then that, due to Barbara Beals weekly (actually, in those days, almost daily) chore of making all the donated excess fit into the original Drop-Off under the school - and at the present, in the lower yards former school portable - that the supply of donated goods would never run dry.  In fact, the proverbial cup has continued to runneth over through the years with goodies of all kinds and Barbara, all the while, gleaning the best pickings for her celebrated Thrift Shop window displays.  

It all started in the summer of 1985.  Even back then, just to get started, there were many hoops to be jumped through with the Planning Commission and the City of Larkspur .  Next, there was the retrofitting work, the conditions of occupancy, more dealings with the Planning Commission and finally the Heritage Committee.  Then, one sunshiny day, the local bureaucracy granted final permission for the use of 457 Magnolia as the St. Patrick Thrift Shop.  History was being made!  

With those hurdles out of the way, Barbara and Norm Beal, Maurine and Paul Streett, and Lorraine and Bob Urban literally scrounged for shop fixtures, clothes hangers, display cases, and other items from the closing J.C. Pennys and Woolworth stores in the old Corte Madera Mall.  Once these shop items were procured, the Thrift Shop was now ready for business.  

Staff-wise, the backbone of the endeavor was seven former School Moms:  Barbara Beal - windows & pricing; Barbara Buscher - scheduling; Laura Giovanonni - jewelry; Rita Kinkaid - bookkeeper;  Mary Lou Kroeger - publicity; Maurine Streett - clothing; and Lorraine Urban - coordinator.  Of the original seven, the two Barbaras, Lorraine and Laura have stayed the course over all these years.  

The shop originally started off with sixty-four staffers, of which four are still committed volunteers to this day.  They are Joann Kwitek, Louise Malvino, Anne Michelfelder and Aileen Murphy.  

Over the many years, other volunteers have made the Monday drop-offs lighter and more joyful.  They include: Marian Boeri & Bernice Rehen - womens clothing; Jean Colthurst - mens clothing; Maria Cunha childrens clothing; June Barton - lamps & art; Rosemary Ellison - pricing; Carol Faith & Mary Sue Murray - linens.  Maureen Seyler volunteered to be our bookkeeper.  Also, a thank you to Richard Seyler for his computer expertise, for posting sales on the Web Site and for handling all our printing needs.  Current volunteer scheduling coordinators are Carol Kreer, Sandi Hufford, Joann Kwitek and Barbara Buscher a difficult job, but one done by these volunteers adeptly.  

In the past twenty-five years, proceeds from the Thrift Shop have been used in many ways to upgrade and enhance the St. Patrick Parish facilities.  Monies have been contributed to School Scholarship and Tuition Assistance programs and various School fundraisers and memorials.  Other financial assistance has gone toward orphanages in Mexico and Guatemala , a Pig Farm Project in Ghana , and sandals and childrens clothing to Haiti .  On the local level, the Thrift Shop has assisted the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Marin Homeless in Action, and provided mens suits for Image for Success an employment program.  Other items are picked up by Maria Freitas on a weekly basis and distributed to various groups in need.  Thank you Maria.

Today, the Shop continues to evolve with new/used fixtures donated by the Louis Thomas Store in the Corte Madera Town Center and others.  Thankfully, volunteer numbers have remained constant with countless, generous volunteers heeding our pleas for help in the Parish Bulletin.  We wish to thank all those who have brought and continue to bring donations.  Thank you, Fr. Paul for your support.  However, most of all the Thrift Shop wishes to thank EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER for twenty-five wonderful years!  May God bless you all and may God continue to watch over our beloved Thrift Shop and all its wonderful volunteers!  

 A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
LORRAINE URBAN & BARBARA BEAL !

 THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS !

St. Patrick Parish thanks each of you for 25 Wonderful Years !

This page was last updated on  02/03/12.