From left, Interfaith Food Bank Director Kathleen Harmon, Rev. Mike Kerrick and Trinity Treasures (soon to be Great Finds) Thrift Shop volunteers Joy Blair, Carol Holt, Marta Rowe and Barbara Kepner are all smiles about the store's new venture to benefit the food bank. Photo by: Jerry Budrick

In this season of giving, this gift takes the cake: Trinity Episcopal Church of Sutter Creek is giving its entire thrift store, Trinity Treasures, lock, stock and barrel, to the Interfaith Food Bank.

The food bank, in turn, intends to expand its mission of giving to the community, dispensing clothing and household items to those in need, in addition to the food that it has provided for 15 years.

Beginning Jan. 2, the venerable landmark store on Sutter Hill will begin its new life as Great Finds Thrift Shop, An Interfaith Food Bank Outreach. After 48 years of operation with one church, the store now will be affiliated with all of the 16 Amador County churches that form the Interfaith Council of Amador.

"It's going to be wonderful," predicted Barbara Kepner, who, along with Joy Blair, manages Trinity Treasures and will continue to do so under the new arrangement. Blair, a member of Trinity Episcopal Church for 14 years, stepped in as manager 16 months ago and Kepner joined her shortly thereafter.

Blair praised the volunteers who work diligently week after week and stated that all the volunteers want to stay after the change. Everyone involved hopes that this merger will bring a surge of new volunteers. "We don't have enough volunteers to back us up right now," Kepner said.

"People have been coming in on just the rumor that we're taking over," said Interfaith Food Bank Director Kathleen Harmon, adding that the long-term plan is to stay open until 6 p.m., to take advantage of prime after-work shopping time.

The store needs five or six people working at all times, what with receiving, sorting, steaming, pricing and operating the register. There are definite benefits to be derived from working as a volunteer at the thrift shop: half-price discounts, first dibs and Kepner's freshly brewed coffee, to name a few. "And we have a really good time working here," added Joy Blair's husband, Bob.

Kepner named some of the stalwart volunteers who have donated time and expertise for years. "We have Camera Charlie," Kepner began, pointing to the box of cameras waiting for Charlie's attention. Below the camera box was a bin of dolls awaiting Sarah Hart's gentle touch to bring them back to their original glory. Jewelry is polished and restored by Katherine Orescan, prior to being put up for sale.

Electronic donations are tested by Bob, who spent years as a professional jet engine inspector before retiring to Pine Grove. Bob's been volunteering at Trinity Treasures since 1995. "We have a real core of volunteers really dedicated to the store," he said, "and a lot of them are not even affiliated with the church."

Longest-standing volunteer at the thrift store is Sandy Pietronave, who's been volunteering since 1964. The oldest volunteer is 88-year-old Eleanor Grielich, whom her colleagues think of as the queen of the steamer.

"She can steam like nobody's business," Kepner said of Grielich's speed and efficiency at operating the steam-cleaning wand used to sterilize garments intended for sale.

Trinity Treasures began in 1960, in a room in the old church downtown, later moved to Main Street at Keyes, and finally to Sutter Hill, where shopping center owner Ed Swift has given a "very generous" monthly rental on the 3000-square foot space. "Ed has been extremely cooperative," Harmon said.

"Episcopal Church Women started this," said Trinity Episcopal Treasurer Carol Holt. "Flo Deabill used to walk the money home and put it under the mattress. She lived near the store."

This collaboration couldn't come at a more propitious time, as the number of families in need has risen to ever more alarming levels. "We're up easily 25 percent for the year," said Harmon, as she enumerated the present situation.

"There are a lot people working for minimum wage in the county," added Interfaith Food Bank of Amador County Board of Directors President-elect Marta Rowe. "Twenty-two-hundred families per month is the base (number of food recipients at the food bank) and it's all community- no government funding at all. All the federal funding is shrinking and dying, so organizations dependent upon the government are in trouble, but Amador County is shocking in its generosity."

What the store needs right now are warm clothes, sleeping bags and tents. They do not take large appliances, baby cribs or car seats.

Not-for-profit thrift stores can play a vital role in the economic ecology of Amador County. Those who have things or time to offer begin the process of providing all that the less fortunate need for survival. Customers get great bargains while helping others. The food bank has a well known history of feeding the hungry. Now it intends to clothe them as well.

Trinity Treasures has had a generous, widespread voucher system in place for many years. "Vouchers are given to people by many community organizations," Holt said, "including county social services, the Amador Pregnancy Center and just about any social group." In Great Finds' future, all 16 churches will be handing out vouchers.

"If people need things," Holt explained, "they can receive up to three outfits, head-to-toe. They get to 'go shopping' at the thrift store, picking whatever they choose. It's the community giving to the community. Everything that comes in is from the community and goes back to the community."

The churches joining Trinity Episcopal at Great Finds are Calvary Chapel of Amador, Church of the Nazarene, Community Church of Pine Grove, Faith Lutheran Church, Fiddletown Community Church, First Baptist Church of Jackson, Grace Fellowship Church, Ione United Methodist Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Jackson United Methodist Church, Mt. Zion Assembly of God, New Life Christian Center, Pioneer Baptist Church, St. Patrick's Parish, and Sutter Creek United Methodist Church.