Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Gross
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/03/2015
MMC Auxiliary Thrift Shop (Support - 2015)
Auxiliary Thrift Shop provides vital support for MMC
The Auxiliary Thrift Shop located at 317 Clay Street in Neillsville has provided over $185,000 in support of Memorial Medical Center over the past 10 years. Organizers are asking people to mind the protocol and not rummage through items on the front porch after 8 p.m. (Photo by Todd Schmidt/Clark County Press)
By Todd Schmidt
Those responsible for the Auxiliary Thrift Shop located at 317 Clay Street in Neillsville are having issues with people entering the front porch area at all hours of the night, interfering with its mission of providing vital support for Memorial Medical Center (MMC).
“People are gathering the free items offered, but others are rummaging through donations made late in the day,” said Marcia Gross, president of the Auxiliary Thrift Shop. “The front porch closes at 8 p.m.”
Gross said there is a need in every community for a place for people to donate used items of value, where the merchandise can be sold at low prices to benefit the surrounding area. At the Auxiliary Thrift Shop, clean and useable items may be dropped off inside the front porch daily between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Auxiliary Thrift Shop volunteer staff asks people to call ahead at 715-743-2623 if they plan to bring a large amount of items, to make sure someone is there. Gross said if possible; people should avoid bringing donations on Friday, as it is a busy sales day.
“All donations that are in good saleable condition are much appreciated,” Gross said.
Volunteer work varying hours seven days per week, to ensure donations dropped are routinely collected and sorted. With garage sales and folks moving, the daily workload is tremendous.
Certain items are not accepted, including TVs, mattresses, microwaves, treadmills, exercise bikes, Christmas trees and tree stands.
“The work, display and storage areas are limited, so very large items present a problem,” Gross said.
The work done at the Auxiliary Thrift Shop is critical to the success of MMC. In the past 10 years, the Auxiliary Thrift Shop has contributed a phenomenal amount of over $185,000 in purchases for MMC.
The list of items purchased includes: piano and TV for the nursing home, birthing bed, six wheel chairs, two EZ lift chairs, two Bidops, three mini-dopplers, website for Dr. Benoist, software for human resources, 740X ultrasound for occupational therapy, six assisted living rooms, dryer for laundry, three hospital recliners, two guest sleeper chairs, a VLER suture cart, handicap-accessible doors for the PT area, new faucets for the kitchen, TV and baby scale (for Loyal), bedspreads and curtains for 25 hospital rooms, five special pajamas for children during surgery, pediatric exam table, eight chairs for the draw station waiting area, four infant PJs, baby warmer, stethoscope and digital scale (for Greenwood), steam table and salad bar for the MMC cafeteria, security fob system for MMC, art prints for the Wuethrich Conference Room, metal art for the flower garden and all the furniture for the MMC main lobby and registration area.
In addition, proceeds from the Auxiliary Thrift Shop provide upkeep of the little white house, at 317 Clay Street.
