Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

One's Trash Is Another Treasure

Tucked quietly behind Battelle lies a thrift store many students are unaware of.

The thrift store is operated 100 percent voluntarily by the Otterbein Women's Club.

All items sold in the thrift store are donated, and all proceeds go back to the college in one way or another.

In fact, last year the Otterbein Women's Club donated a total of $23,000 to different scholarships on campus.

Among those scholarships are the Donna Kerr Scholarship, the Diamond Jubilee Scholarship and other scholarships that go to graduates of Westerville High Schools.

Along with scholarships, the club also donated $30,000 to the Clements Center remodeling and other various sums to different campus renovations throughout the years.

"All of the proceeds have always gone towards either our seven different service scholarships or towards capital improvement grants," said Peg Duffy, a member of the Otterbein Women's Club and volunteer at the thrift store.

"I remember when the thrift store was in one of the rooms in Towers Hall," said Duffy.

"I also remember when it was in the basement of Cowan Hall as well."

The Women's Club was founded in 1922 and the thrift store in the early 1950s, according to Duffy.

The store is now located in a house on 177 W. Park Street, which was provided and paid for by the campus.

The thrift store is a little different then the average Goodwill, housing everything from clothes for men, women and children, to glassware, small furniture, electric appliances, books and much more.

"The weirdest thing I have ever seen at the store is the wedding dress, which we still have," said Judy Christian, another volunteer at the store who graduated from Otterbein in 1961. "It's a size eight."

Among the many treasures at the thrift store is a picture of the class of 1952.

"I remember every year we would have at least one knucklehead who would run from one side of the picture to the other before the camera man shot the whole thing," said Joanne Seith, a volunteer and graduate of the class of 1959.

The thrift store is currently looking for volunteers to help with the store.

All volunteers must be members of the Otterbein Women's Club, including men.

"We are looking for anyone who is willing to help," said Duffy laughingly, "especially those who aren't eligible for social security just yet."

According to Duffy, there will be a cardinal card discount at the end of January.

"We did it last year and it was a huge success. Anyone with a cardinal card, including faculty, staff and students, receive a 50 percent discount on their total purchase."

The thrift store is open from Labor Day through mid-June. The hours are Wednesday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m



More
Today's Lineup
12:00-6:30am Alternative
6:30-7:30am Money'$ Morning $how
7:30-10:00am Alternative
10:00-11:00am Money'$ Morning $how
11:00am-1:30pm Alternative
1:30-2:30pm The Everyday Alina Show
2:30-4:00pm Alternative
4:00-5:00pm Sophia's Sleepover
5:00pm-12:00am Alternative
Newscast
Weekly Where and When 3.25.wav Transcript
The Chirp
This field is required.
Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 T&CMedia