Neighbor Spotlight: Energetic leader of Second Harvest Community Thrift Store sees opportunity to grow pride

Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would like to nominate someone as a Neighbor Spotlight, visit foxchapelherald.com, select the “Post Story” button in the upper right corner, click the “New Article” button and complete the form to publish your nomination. Questions? Email Neighborhood News Network editor Katie Green at kgreen@triblive.com.

Bonnie DeMotte jokes that she has been sprinting a marathon the past two years.

An O’Hara resident, DeMotte was the driving force behind Second Harvest, a community thrift store and gathering space that opened March 16 along Clay Street in Sharpsburg.

Pegging it as a Thrift 2.0, DeMotte said the corner space has more resting on its shoulders than hawking used couches, shoes and kitchenware.

The Second Harvest board envisions the store, a former boccie club and then a film lab, as a space where people can gather, learn and shop with dignity.

“We want to meet not only the material needs but the relational needs of the community,” said DeMotte, a retired PPG chemist.

“We translate donated items into money for the local community.”

While the store provides living wages for its seven staff members, there are plans to dole out year-end proceeds to the St. Vincent de Paul food bank and the Sharpsburg Community Library, among other local charities.

By offering a bright and modern space, and selling top quality items at an affordable price, DeMotte sees the boutique-like store as an investment in community pride.

“We stress quality,” she said. “It costs us a lot to dispose of things, so we are really asking for things that you’d only share with your friends and family. We want to set ourselves apart from typical second-hand stores.”

A garden will sprout near the front entrance this spring, and job training and other programs are planned inside a workshop area.

DeMotte said she’s in talks with Youth Empowerment Project of Sharpsburg to get teens some retail experience inside the store.

Alongside the housewares, shoes, clothes and furniture, there is a lounge area with a long wooden table, comfy chairs and free WiFi where people can meet, relax or network. Complimentary coffee is always brewing near the book stacks.

Shopper Matt Fahey who lives next door said he visited the store three times in the first week it was open. With donations flowing in at a brisk pace, Fahey said it’s a new experience every time.

“They have cool things that aren’t too expensive,” he said. “I kept looking out for them to open and now that they have, it’s great.”

Employee Mary Jayne Kozlowski said customer response has been glowing so far, and people have been streaming in from all areas.

“It’s just a steady flow,” she said. “They are thrilled, and I think it’s gonna help the town a lot.”

Second Harvest was born in 2018 after a bequest to Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church was left to help those in need. At the same, the St. Vincent de Paul store in Sharpsburg closed and there was an outcry from locals who bemoaned having to ride the bus to The Waterworks for everyday shopping.

An ambitious $2 million capital campaign was launched and not too long after, Second Harvest found a home at the 6,500-square-foot former ColorTech building.

Foundation and individual donations helped the board meet its lofty goal, with more than 650 people reaching into their pockets. What’s more is that there have been 300 people who raised their hands to volunteer and help sustain operations at the debt-free property.

“We were seeing a need in what most people consider a very affluent school district,” DeMotte said. “We want to take care of those in our own backyard.

“This process has exceeded all my dreams, and they were big.”

To volunteer, or for store hours, visit secondharvestthrift.com.