Heart and Hands Thrift Shop volunteers in the market for new location

MEREDITH — Heart and Hands Thrift Shop, a nonprofit store which opened in August 2016 in Meredith Village, will need to find a new location, and fast. The shop needs to vacate from their current location by Aug. 1.

The store will remain open until Saturday, July 19, with big sales to help reduce inventory. Details are available at heartandhandsthriftshop.com, or on their Facebook page at facebook.com/100064878813198.

“We appreciate the patience and support of our donators and customers, and that's what keeps us going,” President Thomas Witham said.

When volunteers renewed the lease about a year ago, there was a provision for a notice to vacate with 90 days’ notice in the case of potential expansion possibilities for the building. Witham said they are currently looking for a new location. Volunteers hope to expand into a bigger space. Volunteer Bobbie Trudeau, who has worked at the shop since its opening, agreed. In the current 2,400-square-foot location, it gets busy, and much of her work requires an “excuse me” or “pardon me” to get done.

“It's going to be a good beginning for all of us,” Trudeau said. “We're going to have more space, and that's what we're looking for.”

Volunteers want to stay in or close to Meredith, as the shop has had success in the current location near the train station. The Heart and Hands Thrift Shop started in August 2016 after a previous thrift shop run by Lisa Stevenson closed. Clergy from Trinity Episcopal Church, Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and the First Congregational Church of Meredith came together to start Heart and Hands to continue serving the community. Witham, who also runs the GOT LUNCH! Inter-Lakes program, said there are many who rely on the shop for affordable clothing, toys, books and other gently used products. According to U.S. Census data from 2023, Meredith has a 10.5% poverty rate.

“One thing I've learned on doing these two organizations is that Meredith hides poverty very well. You can drive through Meredith and see the beautiful hotels and all the big houses and stuff, and keep going up to Center Harbor and Moultonborough,” he said. “You don't see it, but it's here.”

The ideal new space would be 3,000 square feet, with at least two entrances, one for donations and the other for customers. The current building only has one, making for lots of traffic. Volunteers are also searching for adequate parking and an accessible entrance, as they get a lot of senior customers. They're also hoping for a reasonable rental price.

“Our dilemma is, the more we pay for rent, the less we would have to give out to the community,” Witham said. “So, we're trying to balance that.”

The thrift shop is also just a great place to shop. Jane Glowgowski, who lives in Gilford, comes to shop at the store. She has been thrifting items since Stevenson ran the shop, continuing to buy things from Heart and Hands since its opening. She said not only does she come to have fun with her girlfriends, but her daughter comes along with her grandchildren to look in the children’s section.

“It can be a sickness. I mean, I have to come here,” Glogowski said. “It's the fun of the hunt.”

The thrift shop is committed to three goals: keep things from going to the landfill by taking in donations; keep prices low; and take proceeds above what's needed for rent and one employee to be donated to Lakes Region nonprofits. Since the store's founding, volunteers have donated $800,000 to a variety of organizations, and continue giving about $100,000 a year.

Realtor Christopher Kelly of RE/MAX Innovative Bayside is helping the shop find a new location and negotiate a lease. Kelly has been in the community since 1988, a Realtor since 1991, and has a good understanding of the real estate landscape. He is also a dedicated member of the Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, which is how he got involved originally to help the shop find the original location.

“They need to find a new location, and we need to keep that thrift shop open. That thrift shop is super important to our community,” Kelly said. “I've been working with them, speaking to different commercial property owners, trying to figure out a best location for them as they move forward.”

While volunteers hope to remain in Meredith, the shop's popularity suggests customers will follow them wherever they go.

“We're very popular and we're very successful, so we do think people would find us if we moved a little bit from downtown,” Witham said. “But we can't go too far.”

Anyone who can assist in finding a new location is encouraged to contact Witham at 603-707-2872.