By Sallie Bachar
Catholic Herald correspondent

Thrift store manager makes a difference

MERRILL -- Serving the needs of the poor and underprivileged is nothing new to Cathy Kleinschmidt. A lifelong parishioner of St. Francis Xavier in Merrill, she helped organize the city's first Crop Walk many years ago, has volunteered countless hours to the Merrill area Christmas Spirit Appeal and has been an active member of St. Francis social concerns committee since its inception.

Her life, however, took a new turn when she gave up her job of eighteen years with a local insurance company to become the store manager for the newly opened St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Merrill. Kleinschmidt assumed her new duties on Nov. 1. It was not a position she envisioned even a few short months ago. "My original intention was to be an occasional volunteer only," she said.

Kleinschmidt was first introduced to the St. Vincent de Paul Society when Denis McCarthy, the founder of the conference at St. Francis, approached the social concerns committee for its help and input on starting the conference and thrift store in Merrill. "I did not have a strong interest in the beginning," Kleinschmidt said, "but the idea kept coming back to me and would not go away.

"I was looking for a change, for something where I could roll up my sleeves and get to work. I always seem to be the one designated to do the paperwork on any volunteer committees and projects I serve. I was becoming tired of taking notes and St. Vincent's seemed to be what I was looking for."

She initially volunteered her services part time as a member of the board and secretary of the Conference but found it increasingly difficult to concentrate at her job at the insurance company. "My thoughts and heart were always at St. Vincent's," she said.

The founding of the St. Vincent de Paul Society took off at rapid speed, and everyone involved agrees that God's hand was definitely guiding the project. Everything seemed to fall into place, Kleinschmidt said, and needs were met as they arose. A vacant building in the downtown area was purchased at the right price and remodeling began almost immediately. Once the location was secured, community response was overwhelming and donations began pouring in.

It soon became apparent that the store needed a full time manager, someone who could make decisions, pay the bills, order supplies and direct the many volunteers. "The board began to look into the requirements," said Kleinschmidt, "and I made an offhand remark that I would take the job in a heartbeat if I could."

The board took her remark seriously and offered Kleinschmidt the position. Being a single parent, it was not an easy decision to quit her job and take on the new responsibilities. "It wasn't that I was unhappy in my job, but I asked myself if I wanted to spend the next ten years of my working life at this present position or do something that could make a difference in other people's lives."

"Coming to St. Vincent's felt like the right thing to do," said Kleinschmidt. "I did not want to pass up this opportunity simply because I was too afraid to try."

Although her hours are much longer she doesn't regret her decision. "Time doesn't matter much when you are doing something you love," she said.

Kleinschmidt believes her position is unique among most store managers' jobs. "Mine is one of service," she said. "I am here to serve the volunteers and the community at large and not just the people who patronize the store." She is very proud of her thirty-plus volunteers who come from different faith denominations. "All of them have made the vision of St. Vincent's their own vision, and I am here to provide what they need to do their jobs well."

Kleinschmidt's goal for the coming year is to broaden the image of the thrift store in the community. Because the Conference is a Catholic organization, she said, many people assume the thrift store is only for Catholics. She hopes to promote the store as an ecumenical, nondenominational endeavor that seeks to address the needs of the entire local community.

She has been invited to attend the meetings of the Merrill Ministerium, a group of clergy from various churches and denominations in the city, and hopes to work closely with them to achieve that goal and also determine how St. Vincent's can best fit into the Ministerium's goals for the local churches.

"We need to recognize where God's hand is really working," said Kleinschmidt. "We are all part of a much larger plan, and it is an amazing experience when you can be open to that."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003