Holy Spirit Episcopal Church burns mortgage on thrift shop

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church burns mortgage on thrift shop

Sales have allowed church to give $1.4 million back to community

By Dave Liebenow

In 2006, a few members of the church were charged with coming up with an idea to make Holy Spirit Episcopal Church more visible in the community. They came up with what turned out to be a gem. Start a thrift shop.
So, they found a 1400 square foot building located west of Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores and went to work. A thrift store in Daphne helped get the store started by donating 20 bags of clothing. The group secured racks from a store that was closing at the time and opened for business.
In 2007, the store was moved to a 2800 square foot space in Gulf Shores with a sign saying Holy Spirit Thrift Shop. The store was so busy that the owner of the building asked them to move.
One of the members found space where the store is located today (6798 Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores).
The church paid rent until the building became available for sale. When that happened in 2010, the church took out a mortgage for $440,000 and made the leap.
Today the shop has a manager and five part-time paid staff, but it still mostly relies on volunteers to staff the store.
Without volunteers the store could not operate. Volunteers are the life blood for the church to continue the mission of the thrift shop, which is to support the church’s ministries and outreach in the community.
To date Holy Spirit Episcopal Church has provided grants to area non-profits just shy of $1.4 million. The mortgage was paid off in early February. The church celebrated at the Thrift Shop with the symbolic burning of the mortgage and fed volunteers and customers with a hot dog lunch.
Pictured:  The thrift shop mortgage burning;  Betty Lisle, Dick Reid, Rose Johnson, Lee Reid, Ellie Brandon, and Carol Nonnenmann are among the shop’s founding members.