MAAC brings back Tuesday evening hours at Thrift Depot after ceasing during Covid

Provided photos: The MAAC Thrift Depot at 536 Orient St. has resumed Tuesday evening hours after being closed two years due to Covid-19.

MEDINA – The Thrift Depot at 536 Orient St., operated by the Medina Area Association of Churches, has announced it will resume Tuesday evening hours after being closed for two years due to Covid-19. There is a slight change in the Tuesday evening schedule, however, according to Sue Metzo, who oversees the operation.

“We will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. from April through October,” Metzo said. “Certain concerns and issues have presented us with the need to be closed during the late fall and winter months.”

Metzo said they are occasionally faced with a problem of donations being left outside. Because they are only open 14 hours a week, those items could be outside a day or more, where they can get rained on or vandalized. The public is asked if they cannot put their donations in the chutes provided, please come during regular store hours, which are 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays from April through October.

For those who are not familiar with the MAAC Thrift Depot, it is run with the help of 20 to 30 volunteers. There are no paid employees, Metzo said.

“Our dedicated volunteers work anywhere between two to 20 hours per week,” she said.

The MAAC Thrift Depot is part of the non-profit organization, Medina Area Association of Churches, which was started around 1970. Sixteen churches in the Medina area are members. It consists of a Clergy Fellowship, the Thrift Depot, the MAAC Christmas Box Program and the Medina Area Christian Theater. Throughout the year they have Lenten luncheons, a Good Friday Cross Walk, Easter morning sunrise service, Thanksgiving ecumenical service and Advent in the Park.

MAAC started when several church groups combined efforts to provide clothing for students the school nurses were concerned about, Metzo said. So many people wanted to contribute there was an abundance of good used clothing that was, at first, given away.

But when more and more clothing kept coming in, it was decided to treat it like a rummage sale. The money earned was used to buy new underwear for the children in need. From there, it just grew and grew. It became the MAAC Clothing Depot and operated for years at the back of the former Medina High School on Catherine Street. When the old high school was sold, the Depot moved to its new location on Orient Street in 2018 and was renamed the Thrift Depot.

After paying for their expenses, the rest of the money earned is gifted back into the community, Metzo said. In 2021, MAAC gifted $41,703 to more than 20 agencies or churches in the area.

The Thrift Depot mainly accepts good, clean clothing, linens, toys, books, DVDs, CDs and small household/kitchen items. Unfortunately, they do not have space for furniture or large baby items. There is a list on their Facebook page (MAAC Thrift Depot) of items they cannot accept.

Anyone who has questions may message the Thrift Depot on Facebook or call and leave a message at (585) 798-6657. A volunteer will return the call within 24 hours.

People are being asked not to leave donations for the MAAC Thrift Depot outside, as seen here, where they can be stolen or rained on.