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A History of the Storehouse — Part 2
Connection to the Dining and Caring Center
For many years, Storehouse volunteers also served in the Dining and Caring Center, cooking and serving breakfasts to neighbors in need of food. Barb Eltinge cooked breakfasts there from 1999 to 2014, until the number of people being served grew so large that professional cooks were brought on. The Dining and Caring Center continues to rely on volunteers today.
Moments of Grace
These volunteers shared several memories that captured the heart of the Storehouse's mission:
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Lani Anderson recalled a young woman who admired the sweater Lani was wearing, mentioning it several times during their visit. Lani, who felt no particular attachment to the sweater, found another one to wear and gave the young woman the one off her back, moving her to tears. On another occasion, a client was so overcome with gratitude that he rushed up and kissed Lani on the cheek. Lani also spent time turning older, worn sheets and donated fabric into pillowcases for clients.
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Diane Donatelle remembers preparing layettes for expectant mothers, supported by baby showers held by the Greece United Methodist Church on the Storehouse's behalf. Wegmans donated the bags used for the layette ministry.
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Ruth Vanderlinden recalled seeing a young mother struggling to carry her two small children and the items she'd received from the Storehouse down the street near the church. Ruth stopped and offered her a ride (technically against policy) which the young mother gratefully accepted. She remembered Dolly Rugg's guiding words: "Do what needs to be done." Dolly herself once arranged for mattresses to be given to a family in need, also bending the rules to do so.
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Beverly Schuman recalled that her sorting team made decisions together, as a community, about what should be kept and what should be set aside. That spirit of teamwork and mutual support ran through the entire Storehouse operation.
Funding the Mission
Support for the Storehouse came through several community efforts over the years. In its early years, Kay Layton and others organized a Basement Sale each summer, typically timed with the Park Avenue Festival and Tent Sunday. On average, this event raised about $10,000 annually for the Storehouse. An Antique Show and Sale on the Granger Lawn, featuring more than 100 vendors, provided additional support.
Passing It On
When asked how they first got involved with the Storehouse, every volunteer described the same simple beginning: one person asked another. Diane Donatelle was asked by Nancy Davidow. Barb Zerkel was asked by Virginia Cadle. Ruth Vanderlinden was invited by Judy D. Sharon Vincent was asked by Ida H to help with the Clinic. And so it continued, one person reaching out to another, until many hands were doing the work together.
The Storehouse also became the root from which several other ministries grew within the Community Outreach Center, including the Dining and Caring Center, the Asbury First Clinic, the Grocery Bag Ministry, Bicycle Repair, and the Community Garden, each one born from a need that was seen and then met.
A Legacy of Service
When asked whether they would do it all again, the volunteers answered without hesitation: "Yes, in a heartbeat." Beyond the work of helping clients, what they found at the Storehouse was a deep sense of community among volunteers and a lasting appreciation for the people they served. Among those gathered that morning, there was more than 200 years of combined service, and some continue serving still. Knowing how deeply appreciated their help was by clients remained one of the greatest reasons to keep showing up.
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