No. 21 Vol. 2
My Life Publications • 1-800-691-7549
March 2025
Trinity United Methodist Church Thrift Store Remains Strong After 50 Years
R
By Evan Wechman esidents in the township of Hackettstown and the surrounding area know where to hunt for a good deal. Some will always flock to nearby malls and big-box retailers for their wardrobe and household needs, but for a fraction of those prices, many consumers prefer to shop at the Trinity United Methodist Church Thrift Shop. This popular thrift store has been offering great deals and terrific service since 1974 to assist families in acquiring essential items, regardless of the state of the economy. The thrift store is run under the guidance of Director Laura Galley. She started as a volunteer there in 2013 and in 2020, she became a full-time staff member. However, when there was an opening for a director in the summer of 2023, she knew she wanted to step into the role. According to Galley, she is passionate about serving the community, though she finds herself wearing many hats each day. “I think the most interesting thing about
the job is how unique every day can be, and the different challenges that such an environment brings. I bring the creative flair to create merchandise displays, wear the critical thinking cap to make policy decisions, be a teacher to new volunteers, and a cheerleader and advocate for current volunteers, and do a fair bit of problemsolving to make our available space and fixtures work best for us, and dream big to see how far we can grow,” Galley said. Galley acknowledges that making the thrift store the best it can be requires the help of everyone involved. Though she has several paid employees, there are approximately 80 volunteers who do the tough work out of the goodness of their hearts. The thrift store’s mission is to spread the love of Jesus Christ, while also serving as a connection to help the community. Galley and the staff often take requests from people looking for specific items and services. Sometimes, they can connect them with the things they need at the church or thrift store, but they can also
Picture courtesy of Laura Galley
point them to other community resources the church has partnered with. The revenue generated by the thrift store also helps the Trinity United Methodist Church run extremely critical services for those in need such as The
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Lord’s Pantry, where people in the area can get a free and nutritious meal. There is also a myriad of other needs the church helps the community with through its successful operation of the thrift store for over 50 continued on page 4