“Gift Store” mission at Vista Covenant

Up to 40 people each week are served by “Shepherd’s Robe,” a free “gift store” offered by the missions group at Vista Covenant Church in the New Richland area. Begun in April of 2021, the program is a continuation of one founded by retired pastor John Schultz, who gave away donated clothing and household goods from his New Richland home until January of that year.

“We were looking at the empty rooms in our downstairs, asking God to fill them,” says Vista Covenant pastor Brian Schanil of the congregation’s unused Sunday school classrooms. “He answered our prayers,” he admits. “Just not the way we were thinking.”

After learning that Pastor Schultz could no longer continue his service, and thinking of its value as a mission, members of Vista Covenant made the decision to take the project on.

Pastor Schanil tells that the group first looked for a location in New Richland, wanting to provide easy access to potential clients, but the search proved fruitless.

“At that point, we decided to make use of our downstairs classrooms,” he says. “It’s been a wonderful revitalization for our congregation,” he continues, saying that church members who receive, sort, display and distribute the items being given away have expressed feelings of being richly blessed. “We don’t want to focus only on ourselves,” he says. “We need to address the needs and interests of our community.”

Shepherd’s Robe coordinator Pat Miller, a retired teacher, Waseca resident, and Vista Covenant  member, is among those who feel blessed. “It gave us a jumpstart back into life after Covid,” she observes. 

As it began, the mission collected and displayed the items still available at Pastor Schultz’s home, retaining the “Shepherd’s Robe” name Schultz had used. Additional donations were quick in coming. The empty Sunday school rooms became a workspace for the many tasks involved with the service.

Shepherd’s Robe is open to all comers every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. and again from 5 to 7 p.m. Visitors are invited to view the displayed items and select whatever fills their needs. Clothing in all sizes is available, as are toys, small household appliances, dishes, and personal care supplies such as shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

When donors ask what is needed, volunteer and “greeter” Sharon Possin says “We tell them to picture what might be needed to set up a new home, what kinds of things might be useful.” Another criteria is that nothing be given which the donors themselves would not want to make use of–and that items be recently cleaned and ready for use. Finally, Miller requests that people planning to make donations should notify the organizers in advance; potential donors can contact her at 507-461-0886.

In its first year of operation at Vista Evangelical, Shepherd’s Robe gave away nearly 7,000 pieces of clothing, 1,500 houseware items and more than 500 toothbrushes. About 1,100 individuals visited the shop.

Though the service is open only on Tuesdays, work is ongoing. About 15 church members put in dozens of hours each week to keep the shelves stocked. Not only do donations need to be sorted and displayed, but unusable items need to be managed either by being disposed of or re-donated to other agencies. New items, including the personal care products and underwear, need to be acquired.

“We encounter challenges,” admits coordinator Pat Miller, “but we change as God leads us to change.

“We are more blessed than the people who come.”

Heartwarming stories abound.

There was the woman who had a job interview the next day and was moved to tears when she found an ideal outfit in her exact size.

An area couple donated this year’s government stimulus check, saying they could do without it and wanted to make it part of the mission.

There was the lone artificial Christmas tree which found its way to a family with small children.

Another lady, in her fifties, selected a winter coat which, because it was so beautiful, made her feel beautiful.

There are the children who leave Shepherd’s Robe thrilled to be clutching a new toy or new shoes.

Volunteer Sharon Possin gets a hitch in her voice when she speaks of the gratitude and pleasure she sees in others. “Sometimes we pray together, right here in the shop,” she says. “We let people know we care.”