Park Avenue Thrift

 

Park Avenue Thrift is the dba of the 501(c)(3) non-profit Oklahoma corporation, Our Father’s Business, Inc., an outreach of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. We appreciate your care for this innovative ministry. Thanks to Sharon Franklin, Mary Henneke, Ricky Hill, Sharon Hume, Margaret Moss, Miriam Moss, T.G. Piziks, Lissa Qualls, and Father Steve for their participation in this ministry. Elizabeth, Milo and Noah Allen came to entertain. Patty Tate gave a New Year’s Eve concert. Janet Wright has volunteered some as her schedule allowed. And thanks to all of you who supported the dedication of the Chapel of St. Anne, who donated their wonderful stuff and shopped our store! All start-up costs, fixtures and improvements to the building are paid in full, and the first full year of operating Park Avenue Thrift showed significant, continual increases in sales and donation drop-offs. We currently have 12 full time and 6 part time employees. We are always thankful for volunteers. Even with all the costs to get up and running in 2008, we were still able to give away some money. Total Given to the Community since opening (through January, 2009). . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . $ 34,280.67. If we double our sales in 2009, a realistic goal, we might just be able to give away a huge amount of money next year. The fun of this mission is giving money away.   The Chapel of St. Anne The Chapel was dedicated on September 8, 2008, by the Episcopal Bishop of Oklahoma, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Edward J. Konieczny and Father Steve. Daily the Chapel is used by customers as a place for private prayer and prayer requests are recorded in a special notebook. The staff and others meet for Morning Prayer each Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00. The Chapel was featured in the Daily Oklahoman and also in the Enid News and Eagle in December. The Emerging Artists Gallery Margaret Moss came up with this innovative idea. Teachers who choose to display their student’s artwork will receive an award of $100 to use in their classroom. She also designed the Quilt Block Coloring Contest to commemorate the sponsorship of the Enid Symphony Orchestra presentation, A Celtic Christmas, an honor we were pleased to share with St. Matthew’s. The contest culminated with our Second Annual Open House on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, 2008. St. Nicholas, looking remarkably like Father Steve, showed up on a horse, provided by Al Price’s daughter, Debbie Faulk, and handed out goodie bags and prizes. We had 209 entries from 5 teachers in 14 schools.   The Benevolence Fund We set up a Benevolence Fund for 2009 as a way to help agencies and schools that serve the poor or disadvantaged who need “stuff”. $1,000 in merchandise will be allowed in 2009 for a number of helping agencies, downtown and east side churches. $300 in merchandise will be allowed for each Enid Public School, Carver Education Center and Lincoln Alternative. This is $20,500 in merchandise that is being set aside for those in need. St. Matthew’s Additionally, Park Avenue Thrift was blessed to help St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in a variety of ways – Had the red doors repainted prior to Easter 2008 Helped the youth with funding for their mission trip Helped Milo Allen with his choir trip Repaired the sliding doors on the Bookshop Provided beverages for the Christmas Eve 2007 and 2008 receptions Provided champagne for the Easter 2008 reception Took a group to Even Song in Guthrie in the Park Avenue Limousine Sponsored the Pentecost 2008 reception Contracted and paid for the development of the new website: stmatthewsenid.org In Conclusion As you can see, Park Avenue Thrift is making a real mark in Enid, Oklahoma. As we move forward, we welcome your participation, your input and your promotion. We really do NOT want your money. We do NOT solicit for monetary donations. We want stuff: household goods, furniture and appliances, toys, crafts, media, knick-knacks, jewelry, linens, electronic items, tools and hardware, sporting goods, garden and pet supplies, holiday items, and, of course, clothing for the whole family. We want cars, trucks, motor homes (one was donated on December 31st), motorcycles, and boats. We want houses and buildings and vacant property. All these can be turned into cash to help the community. We want your presence seen and felt. We invite you to come alongside to volunteer or help in the store itself. We want our employees to know your face, so that if you show up at the back door with stuff they will greet you by name. Or if you come through the back room to see how things are going, they won’t say, “Excuse me, this is for employees only.” We want you in on the excitement! Based on Our Lord’s Summary of the Law from Matthew 22:37-40, we believe that any time you help the community you do a sacred thing! David Hume & Paula Nightengale

 

 

 

Home - History - Ministries - Calendar - Rector's Notes

Art - Organ - Site Map - About Us - Contact Us

518 W. Randolph • Enid, Oklahoma 73701
(580) 237-4737

www.StMatthewsEnid.org

Web site design by Best Day Studio in Enid, OK