In early September, the Rev. Patrick Rice of Windham’s Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church was coming up with some fundraising ideas. He realized the church rectory’s garage was unused, and looked to the church’s women’s guild to repurpose it.
“‘Why don’t we turn this into a thrift shop?’ Rice, who lives in Haines Falls, asked women’s guild leaders. “A couple of women stepped up and just transformed it.”
The shop at 5188 state Route 23, opened Oct. 10, the first day of Windham’s Autumn Affair, a free, two-day fall festival featuring live music, food, craft vendors, and family activities along Main Street. Inside the shop, tables displayed vintage housewares, jewelry, and artwork. Racks held clothing, handbags, and other accessories, alongside children’s toys and paperback books.
The former garage is now Windham’s only thrift shop, providing a place to hunt for vintage housewares or one-of-a-kind finds, and to meet more practical needs like school clothes, winter layers, and everyday essentials at prices organizers intend to keep low. Many items cost between $1 and $10. By keeping donated goods in Windham, the women’s guild hopes to give usable items another life while raising money for church projects and local assistance to support the community foodbanks and schoolkids without winter clothes.
The cash-only shop will be open year-round on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m., said Mary Schoepe, a women’s guild member who lives in Ashland.
“We thought, ‘Well, if there’s so many people that are traveling out of the area to donate their things, why not keep it here to help the local people?’” she said.
Donations were easier to come by than Schoepe expected. Even before churchgoers publicly announced the shop, residents noticed the space being cleaned out and began asking questions.
“We have a whole room full of donations,” she said. “Many things are brand new or gently used.”
Other thrift stores on the mountaintop include Kaaterskill Kids, a children’s thrift shop and activity center, and the Kaaterskill United Methodist Church thrift shop, both in Hunter. Closer to Windham are the for-profit Back in Time Thrift Store in Ashland and Phoenix Web Collective’s free store, which moved to Prattsville from Hunter in July.
Unlike the seasonal Kaaterskill United Methodist Church shop, Saint Theresa’s will stay open through the winter, Schoepe said.
“You would be surprised at the number of people that come in here and need to buy things because things are so expensive,” Schoepe said. “We have quality items that they’re not paying full price for.”
Nationally, clothing prices rose 3.4% in September compared with a year earlier, while overall consumer prices increased 3.7%, according to data released Oct. 14 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Proceeds will support church projects and community causes, said Jessika Schreiber, a women’s guild member who lives in Windham.
“We support schoolchildren that don’t have winter clothes,” Schreiber said. “We also give money to the local food bank by the church. We’re also sponsoring a light pole for our church. That’s around $1,500.”
Keeping prices low is a priority, Schoepe said. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, 8.4% of the population of the Windham-Ashland-Jewett School District lives below the poverty line.
“There are some things that are a little more pricey, but it’s not going to be the same as if you went to Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, or Lord and Taylor,” she said. “Believe me: we have designer clothes here.”
If someone can’t afford an item, Schoepe said she’d give it away.
“This didn’t cost us anything,” she said, “so why not just give it to somebody who will really appreciate it?”
She recalled a local woman and her daughter shopping for school clothes.
“Those are the people that we want to help,” Schoepe said. “This little girl was so excited, and that’s what we’re here for.”
Donations will be accepted year-round and can be brought to the shop during business hours or left in the church hall, which is always open, Schoepe said. Space is limited, so the shop isn’t accepting electronics, hardcover books, or larger items.
Rice previously served as pastor at All Saints on the Hudson Church in Mechanicville, a small city in Saratoga County, where he said a similar thrift shop raised substantial money.
“They did $50,000 a year,” he said. “There is a tremendous amount of potential here to help support the church and support the community.”
Schoepe said support for the Windham shop extends beyond the congregation.
“I think the whole community is behind us,” she said. “Regardless of religious beliefs, we all care about people in the community that are underserved.”
For Schreiber, the shop also offers a way to keep usable goods out of the trash.
“We live in such a wasteful society,” she said. “Why not repurpose it and reuse it?”
Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter, and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.
