Customers queue up Fridays for chance to peruse new items

By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Every Friday a line of people gathers outside St. Luke Auxiliary Shop hoping to snag a bargain when new items go on sale.

“It’s the norm,” Michelle Gooding said Friday snuggling her small dog, Fritz, against the cold wind as they waited for the shop’s noon opening. “Everybody starts to get in line, and get in there and get a shopping cart.”

The shop has “anything and everything,” she said. “You can find all kinds of good deals in here.”

Peggy Blackman, treasurer for the auxiliary shop said Friday is usually their busiest day because they often put out new items, but Saturdays can also be hectic.

“We always make sure we have two registers going on Friday at noon because we do get a crowd,” she said. “They were waiting outside for us to open.”

This past Saturday volunteers staffed two registers and could barely keep up, but Blackman said they were grateful to have the business.

The shop is $20,000 short what it could have made without three months of COVID-19-mandated shutdowns.

“We still are doing pretty good,” Blackman said.

The auxiliary has $141,000 in the bank thanks to the shop. Last month the store took in about $8,300, she said.

The auxiliary is able to buy a stove and dishwater for the hospital kitchen.

Blackman is grateful for the volunteers who keep the shop open for the community.

“It takes 14 people just to run the registers on the weekend,” she said.