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" MATTHEW 25 THRIFT SHOP, Lititz, Pa.  Write or make donations to: 48 E. Main Street, Lititz, PA 17543  Q &amp;amp;amp; A with Comfort Contest Honoree Nancy Reece   Q: What is the goal of your organization?  A: Matthew 25 is a nonprofit organization. We sell donated clothing and household goods for reasonable prices. After the bills are paid we give the remainder away to local nonprofits, churches, hospitals, and schools that help meet emergency needs of people living in Lancaster County, Pa.  Q: When did you recognize a need for this organization in your town?  A: I lived in Mt. Laurel, N.J., for 10 years and worked at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop in Medford, N.J. I saw what wonderful work they did. I told everyone when I moved back to Pennsylvania I would start a thrift shop with the same goals. First I had to find the right location. This took about one-and-a-half years! Then, two local churches donated seed money. Within one month of starting this project, the seed money was paid back to the churches. Q: What is a typical day working on the project like for you? A: Every day is different. You never know what the next phone call will bring. I work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. four days a week. The store is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The donations are sorted, hung on specific hangers, and put out in the store for sale. This process goes on every day.  Q: What were you doing before you started this organization?  A: I am a full-time mother and grandmother, as well as a community volunteer.  Q: How has this endeavor changed your life?  A: I have seen how many needs there are to be met locally. I feel blessed to be able to help meet these needs in some small way. Q: Was it difficult to get others to adopt your vision and passion for the organization? A: At first everyone was concerned about making enough money to pay the bills. After that was resolved, the support from the community was amazing. We constantly hear things like: &amp;quot;We are so glad you are here,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;I don&amp;#039;t know what we&amp;#039;d do without you,&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I can&amp;#039;t afford to buy my family clothing at the mall and I just love shopping at Matthew 25.&amp;quot; I have approximately 50 volunteers who come in to help from time to time. We generally rely on having eight volunteers help each day. They are priceless. I could never do this by myself. Q: What inspires you and keeps your approach to work, volunteering, and life fresh? A: The constant reinforcement I receive from my volunteers and the community is so rewarding, it feeds my soul! Q: What advice can you give for someone considering starting their own nonprofit? A: Go for it! It is a lot of work, but if that little voice inside is telling you to do it, just do it. Q: What has it taught you about yourself? A: I learned that I am very organized. Q: What was your best resource for getting started? A: The mentors I met at St. Vincent de Paul. I learned so much about this type of ministry there. Q: What do you hope for next? A: I have no plans for a different venture. I hope to continue working at Matthew 25 for a long time. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/life/a2257/nancy-reece-0508/>