Building the Valley: Bargain-priced clothes, housewares help people at Agape Thrift Store in Harrison

Since at least the mid-1980s, the Agape Thrift Store in Harrison has been helping people boost their wardrobes and their self-esteem.

The secondhand store nestled in the basement of the Grace United Methodist Church, at 1333 Freeport Road, opens its doors from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays.

In just three hours a week, dozens of people come through the doors seeking help with work clothes, kids’ shoes and countless other items.

“We’re usually pretty busy,” said Carol Peters, a church parishioner from Harrison and head of the clothes pantry. “We usually have a crowd waiting for us when we open.”

The most sought-after items are dress clothes for working people and anything for babies and toddlers.

“I’m totally out of infant clothes right now,” Peters said. “We get people who have all kinds of circumstances. Sometimes it’s grandparents who are suddenly raising young children. Sometimes it’s people who have been out of work and can’t afford clothes for a new job.

“I’m just glad we have a mission that helps everyone.”

Grace UMC has sat prominently along Freeport Road since 1928. Pastor Diane Curry-Randolph said Agape’s mission is not about making money for the church.

“It’s about building the community,” she said.

Peters, who heads a volunteer crew of five, said Agape partners with the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches to provide free clothing to people in need.

“Even without a voucher, you can stuff a brown paper grocery bag for $3,” she said. “You can get a lot of clothes in that bag.”

Hannah Simmers of New Kensington is a regular client. She shows up on Wednesdays to peruse the two rooms, stocked with everything from holiday decor and glassware to personal care items and jewelry.

This week, she bought a towering stack of Christmas window clings, gift tags and puzzles for $7.25.

“I normally come every week,” Simmers said. “Me and my mom like to go to Goodwill too and shop around to see what we can find.”

Shoppers at the Grace UMC makeshift store are likely to find higher-end merchandise at bargain prices. On the shelves now are women’s Naturalizer shoes for $2, an Eddie Bauer goose-down vest for $2.50 and a slew of paperback books for 25 cents each.

“There are a lot of people who have nothing, or next to it,” said Kathy Russell, a retired Winchester Thurston teacher who lives in Harrison.

Russell is a church member who has volunteered once a month for the past decade.

“It’s great to see what we can do to help here,” she said.

Anyone interested in donating to the thrift store can visit during operating hours or leave bags on the covered front porch of the church.