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Store Helps Interfaith Council

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By PAUL CATALA THE SUN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2008

Nearly New, a second-hand store, has literally thousands of used items for sale: clothes, jewelry, sports equipment, records, furniture and pretty much anything for in or around the house.

But the more that comes in for the community, the more that goes out.

For the past seven years, the Nearly New Shop thrift store has served the Sun City Center community through volunteerism and charity.

Since originally opening in Wimauma in 1970, proceeds from sales at the Sun City store, 1515 Sun City Center Plaza, have gone to various area nonprofit causes, such as schools - including the new Reddick Elementary School - emergency medical services, the public library and the seeing-eye dog program in Palmetto.

A big chunk of the store's profits go toward academic scholarships for East Bay and Lennard high schools and the South County Career Center School for 11th-through 12th-grade students in Ruskin.

The scholarships are managed and distributed through the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center, a not-for-profit community outreach group made up of representatives from all churches in the area. The money is collected and distributed through the Grant Committee of the Interfaith Council.

Located at its current location since 2001, sales come from inside Nearly New's indoor shopping area and outside at the flea market held in the store's parking lot.

Open 8 a.m. to noon, Wednesday and Saturday, the store is managed by Dot Rowland, who is the only paid employee. However, about 35 volunteers put in their own personal time to collect, sort, price and put out the myriad of donated goods each week - all to help better their community and schools.

This year, through Nearly New sales, about $90,000 in 46 academic scholarships went to students in the three schools: around $28,000 to 14 students at East Bay, $10,500 to six students at Lennard and $10,000 to five students at South County. The remainder of the money went to students already in college and continuing their Interfaith scholarships, averaging about $2,000 each per year,

While bargain hunters sorted through an array of clothes, sporting goods, games, cutlery and other goods during a recent business day, Barbara Lauer, Interfaith Council president, took time to lend a hand. Around the shop and at the flea market, around 100 shoppers mingled and searched for bargains.

Lauer, who's spent 12 years with the council, said around $80,000 in scholarships were awarded for the 2006-7 school year. Twenty were given to high school seniors and 26 were given as "continuing," renewable students already in college.

She said overall, about $170,000 was given to various community causes last year through the Nearly New Shop, including $100,000 to Lifepath Hospice for the terminally ill.

"We feel there's so much need in our community. We feel we're doing the community a service through volunteerism," she said. "The main basis for our scholarships is need. It's not the highest grades a lot of the time; it's just they don't have the income."

While visiting the store, Pastor Juan Gomez of Wimauma's Spanish Church of God, asked Lauer about the scholarship program and the Interfaith donations.

He said he wanted to spread the word about the scholarships and the Interfaith Council to those in Wimauma, where the council began 38 years ago.

June 11, the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center donated $25,000 toward the expansion of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association's charter school in Wimauma.

"I'll tell others about this. I want to find out how to apply," he said. "I'm sure there are a lot of kids, especially in Wimauma, who don't know about these scholarships."

Although she doesn't live in Sun City, Gibsonton resident Megan Hall said the continuing education Interfaith-Nearly New scholarship has helped her tremendously in her first year at the University of South Florida.

Hall, who won a $2,000 during her senior year at East Bay High School, said the extra two-grand a year helps offset the cost of books each semester, not covered by her Florida Bright Futures scholarship.

"It gives me hope every year," said Hall, 20, an elementary education major. "More than anything, it's been inspiring to know they put so much hard work into raising money for the scholarship, it's inspired me to put that much work into my education."

For information on the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center and its scholarship program, call (813) 642-9099.

Reporter Paul Catala can be reached at (813) 865-1554 or pcatala@mediageneral.com

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