Twice Loved Treasures lead to church, Hurricane Catholics hope

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John Wester blesses the interior of Twice Loved Treasures and meets volunteer staff members July 14.

HURRICANE — If you don’t believe hand-me-down Teddy bears® and second-hand clothes can help build a church, you haven’t experienced the tenacity and the faith of Utah Catholics.

In the communities of Logan, St. George, and Cedar City, Catholic churches have been built from the ground up thanks in part to dedicated volunteers who have spent countless hours washing, cleaning, pricing, folding, and hanging items for sale in their parish thrift shops. Such shops still thrive and contribute to the parishes of St. George in St. George and Christ the King in Cedar City.

June 1 saw another thrift shop open with all the enthusiasm and spirit of a corps of volunteers who believe they, too, can raise enough money to build a church – this time in Hurricane.

Twice Loved Treasures, located at 525 West State Street in Hurricane, has four purposes, said Mary LeBaron, manager.

"We hope to help raise funds to build a church; we recycle items that otherwise would sit in a corner somewhere; we also provide low-cost clothing and household appliances to people who need them; and we provide a place where people can meet, share their stories, relax, and enjoy themselves."

LeBaron, a retired school teacher who recently learned retirement wasn’t what she wanted, credits Steve Cross, manager of the St. George Parish Thrift Store, for planting the seed for Twice Loved Treasures.

"Steve came and talked to us about the success they’ve had with their thrift store in St. George," LeBaron said. "He not only encouraged us to open our own store, but he helped us stock it with overflow items they had at the St. George store. We also got contributions from The Catholic Thrift Store in Cedar City."

Enthused about Cross’ proposal, Jacqueline DuBois got on the phone making 110 calls to find a manager for the store. When LeBaron answered her phone one day, the retired physical education teacher with 30 years of teaching experience had no idea how to run a thrift store. But she did know retirement wasn’t for her, so she volunteered.

"Steve walked me through the whole process," LeBaron said. "He found this location, then stocked the store. Before long, we were getting contributions from Cedar City and from the Hurricane community."

Today Twice Loved Treasures is fully up and running. LeBaron has been joined by 50 volunteers, five of whom are not Catholic, and "business is good," she said.

"The word is getting out," LeBaron told the Intermountain Catholic. "Some days are slow, but we’re building up a list of regular customers. We know their names, and they know us.

"We’re proud to be a resource for people in need," LeBaron said. "We provide toys, children’s clothes, adult clothes, dishes, appliances, shoes, and books. I think when school starts, we’ll really see business pick up."

Twice Loved Treasures honors vouchers from all the churches in Hurricane and its surrounding towns. One hundred percent of the monies brought in go to the parish’s building fund.

The response from the Hurricane community has been a pleasant surprise, LeBaron said. Open three days a week, Thursdays-Saturdays, the store takes donations five days a week, and has volunteers who sort items and price them on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"I was searching for a purpose," LeBaron said. "Who knew it would be this? It was never my intent to draw people into the Catholic Church, but since this project began, six people from the store have approached the church."

LeBaron said she used to throw away by the gross the rubber bands that held her and her husband, Ron’s newspapers together, but about a year ago she started saving them, thinking, "some day I’m going to need these."

Little did she know she would be using those rubber bands to keep shoes in pairs, to tie hangers together, and to keep small sale items from getting lost on the thrift store tables.

"Really," LeBaron said, "this store runs itself. I never cease to be amazed at how willing people are to help out, people like Jean and Miriam Bourque, who have spent hours here organizing merchandise. The store provides people with a place to serve, and that’s important."

Twice Loved Treasures also serves as a place to hold Scripture study groups, and it has given the Catholic community of Hurricane a place to call their own; a physical presence in the community that welcomes and helps others.

"This is great fun," LeBaron said. "It’s a lot of work, but when we work together we have fun."

On a hot day in July Bishop John Wester stopped in the shop on his way to Kanab. The volunteers were there to greet him, offering cool lemonade. Bishop Wester blessed the shop and the volunteers, saying their efforts were a joyful addition to the Catholic Church in southern Utah.