The Villages Regional Hospital Auxiliary Foundation had two reasons to celebrate on Friday. Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe celebrated the first anniversary of its expansion and at the event the Insight Credit Union Community Foundation presented a check for $2,000 to aid the scholarship program run by the TVRH Auxiliary Foundation.

Insight employees Melody Hayes, Assistant Vice President of Training and Development, and Marketing Executive Sabrina Rodriguez presented the check to out-going Foundation Board Chairman Paul Farineau and in-coming Chairman David Gardner.

Paul Farineau, Melody Hayes, Sabrina Rodriguez and David Gardner.
Paul Farineau, Melody Hayes, Sabrina Rodriguez and David Gardner.

TVRH Auxiliary Foundation operates a scholarship program that is open to area high school students and hospital employees. This past year 24 scholarships were awarded.

Insight Credit Union, started in 1935, serves central Florida. Their 18th location will opening soon at Brownwood.

“Our Foundation wants to give back to the community for educational purposes,” said Hayes. “They liked the idea of giving to the hospital foundation because it will help employees further their education.”

Another arm of the Foundation is the volunteer-run Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe. Located just off U.S. Hwy. 27/441, the Thrift Shoppe’s proceeds are used to purchase needed medical equipment and improve patient care.

The Thrift Shoppe opened in 2008 and operates with 150 volunteers. The expansion location is used to sell furniture and household items.

“We are always in need of furniture,” said Karen Harkins, manager of the Thrift Shoppe. The store now offers the service of picking up the furniture.

The original building is used to sell clothes and accessories.

The Shoppe is open Tuesday through Saturday. There is a volunteer team that works on Monday to set up the very nicely done displays. Parts of the store have a department store feel.

Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe volunteers, from left, Nancy Cummings of the Village of De La Vista, Donna Austin of the Village of Belvedere, chair of volunteers Rena Marchand, and Pat Wesolowski of the Village of Woodbury.
Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe volunteers, from left, Nancy Cummings of the Village of De La Vista, Donna Austin of the Village of Belvedere, chair of volunteers Rena Marchand, and Pat Wesolowski of the Village of Woodbury.

Volunteer Nancy Cummings is amazed at the quality of the items donated.

“The community is so generous, giving us fabulous things,” she said. “People that live here are from everywhere which makes for Interesting donations.”  Cummings is part of the Monday staging crew. “I have one rule when I shop here. I don’t buy unless I bring something in.”

Aside from the volunteers on duty, many of the 150 volunteers came to support the celebration and enjoy the grilled hamburgers and hot dogs being offered for lunch.

Rena Marchand, chair of the volunteers, said that new volunteers are always needed. Several of the volunteers have been with the Shoppe since 2008, but there is always room for a few more.