December is traditionally the season of giving, but Summit Church – which operates the nonprofit Methodist Thrift Shop in Durango – likes to get started early by considering funding requests from area nonprofits every November.
This year, Summit Church’s lead team approved nearly $100,000 in funding requests for area nonprofits. The funding comes from revenues at the thrift shop on East Second Avenue and will be doled out quarterly next year.
Precise dollar amounts for particular nonprofits aren’t public information, but awarded funding can surpass $10,000, depending on the type of project or operation the money will finance, Methodist Thrift Shop director Georgia Stilwell said.
Nonprofits that had funding requests granted in November include La Plata Youth Services, The Hive Durango, the Animas Museum, the Southwest Colorado Fellowship of Christian Athletes and others.
Stilwell said funding is mostly kept for organizations within the city of Durango, but it is occasionally extended beyond the boundaries of the bustling mountain town.
In November, the Methodist Thrift Shop approved funding for Days for Girls, an international nonprofit working to “eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation,” according to the organization’s website.
“Days for Girls is an organization that provides period products to young women all around the world, which I think is really amazing,” Stilwell said. “They’re like hand-sewn, reusable kinds of stuff, which just resonates with me as a woman.”
The thrift shop also committed some funding to First Love International, an international Christian mission group that supports people with disabilities, at-risk children and other groups. First Love International is currently aiding victims of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Some of this money made it over to Ukraine with First Love International. It’s like a small nonprofit kind of helping kiddos get to safety. They have traveled with kids away from Ukraine and then were able to bring them back,” Stilwell said.
Some residents may not realize it, but the Methodist Thrift Shop’s charity isn’t reserved for the winter holidays. Stilwell said the thrift shop responds to funding requests year-round. Usually, the requests are for smaller financing to address immediate needs, and the larger requests for the following are reviewed in November.
“We try to give as much as we possibly can, rationing it out to different organizations in town,” she said.
Nonprofit groups are encouraged to submit their annual funding requests a month before the lead team’s annual November meeting, and they are asked to explain which projects the funding would contribute to. That way, the team can make informed decisions about how to distribute the money.
Previous charitable funds were used to help The Hive Durango launch a snowboarding program for children. Another project involved replacing the roof of a cabin at the Animas Museum, Stilwell said.
“Being able to donate a pretty large amount of our proceeds back into the community feels really fulfilling,” she said. “Also, we do see firsthand folks who are experiencing homelessness, who are cold. And being able to give them a jacket feels very rewarding and good that we’re able to help people immediately and physically.”
Stilwell said the thrift shop receives an “outpouring of positive feedback” from customers. Some people are fond of the thrift shop because it is the cheapest one in town. Others tell Stilwell they just have to stop by the shop whenever they’re passing through Durango.
Others still drop in every week for regular bouts of personal shopping. They peruse the aisles of clothing, knickknacks, music albums, children’s toys and whatever else someone decided to part ways with.
“It just feels good that we have people who feel so inclined to say something and give us that feedback,” she said. “ … Especially during the Christmas season when they find a little Christmas ornament for themselves. It’s just really sweet and reinforces the holiday spirit.”
Stilwell said Christmas Time is among the Methodist Thrift Shop’s busiest times of the year. On Tuesday, piles of clothing stacked high awaited sorting by the group’s 65-member volunteer team.
Clothing is one of the most common donations the thrift shop receives year-round – so much so that staff has to temporarily stop accepting it when its storage fills up. But when Christmas rolls around, clothing and other items start flying off the shelves.
Winter clothing is accepted and stored year-round. Children’s clothing is common at the thrift shop because kids grow out of their small clothes so quickly, she said. The same goes for children’s toys.
“We’ve had pretty record sales for this month in particular comparatively to the past, like, five years,” Stilwell said. “I really just think part of it is our economy and people trying to get a little bit more bang for their buck, I guess, during this time of year.”
Many donations arrive still wrapped in original packaging, which is nice for the next person who comes along in search of a present at a discounted price for a loved one, Stilwell said.
Christmas decorations such as lights, gift wrap and ornaments are popular items during the holidays. Hanukkah items occasionally find their way into the shop, but not so frequently. She said ceramic nativity scenes appear to be in this year.
“A lot of people thank me during this time of year and I really appreciate it. And of course, we give thank you’s to our volunteers and our staff,” she said. “But I would just say we wouldn’t be able to do it without our volunteer team and the dedication of our volunteers this year. And the same with our staff team as well.”
cburney@durangoherald.com
