| A thrift shop that saves souls: priceless BY YVONNE J. MEDLEYUMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT To purchase a great bargain for one dollar is great, but to find relief from an eviction notice, thats priceless. Providing such relief is the mission of a modest well-stocked thrift store, tucked away on a residential neighborhood in Hampstead. This one-stop shop specializes in bargain merchandise and outreach ministry. The thrift store, operated by the Northeast Social Action Program, Inc. (NESAP), has been a staple in Carroll County for 21 years.  We are a nonprofit ecumenical ministry serving the needs of all the people, said Linda Geers, NESAPs program manager for 13 years. Geers has an office in the back of the store to field phone calls and inquiries from people needing help with their lives.
Alba Stierhoff, the store manager, opens the store with prayer every day and handles the front counter. When she greets people with her Can I help you? query, she never knows what shell discover. Perhaps someone needs help locating something on the racks of dresses or the shelves crammed with toys; or they may need money to pay a utility shutoff notice or for a car seat or crib; or perhaps they need groceries. When you see their needs, your heart just reaches out to them, Stierhoff said. We get a lot of referrals through the store, said Geers. Thats why its really good that the office is right here with the store. Its just more convenient that way. And no matter whats on sale, if someone comes in needing it, we give it away. NESAP is associated with 35 area churches, collectively called the Northeast Carroll County Ministerial Association. Ten of those churches make up the Hampstead-Manchester Cluster of United Methodist churches.  The cluster has really been involved since the beginning, said the Rev. Richard Brown-Whale, pastor of the Shiloh-Mt. Zion Charge. I think the Methodists were a large driving force in the whole thing.
For most of the time, all the offices were housed at St. Johns UMC, which Brown-Whales wife, Kimberly, pastors. The thrift shop was in a little garage in its parking lot. The food pantry was in a closest on the third floor. It was a real tiny operation that kept growing and growing. And the need keeps growing too, Brown-Whale said. NESAP is one of 15 Advance Specials of the Baltimore-Washington Conference for 2002-2003. Because NESAP is a non-governmental agency, sometimes it can do more and work faster than governmental agencies, Brown-Whale explained. We fill in a lot of cracks because we dont have the same limitations [for helping] somebody who comes with a need that wouldnt fit in any kind of government plan, he said, Like somebody whos living out of their car and needs car repairs. They would have a hard time getting any kind of government help with that, but thats something we can do. NESAP also networks closely with both governmental and non governmental agencies to offer disadvantaged county residents a holistic hand-up, while not duplicating the services those agencies can provide. NESAPs ability to help others depends solely on thrift store proceeds, church donations and volunteers. All that is required of potential clients is to fill out a simple form that, among other things, asks about church affiliation. That sometimes sparks meaningful Christian conversation, but, Brown-Whale stressed, We dont proselytize and force people to have to listen to a sermon or join a church or anything else to get the help they need. We just help in the name of Jesus. Sherry Riley of Manchester combed through the stores dresses as her two children, Sam, 9 and Sarah, 7, carefully inspected everything from toys to tiny figurines. Ive gotten some really nice things here, she said, I found a really nice dress for $8. I wore it last Easter. Another bargain found. | 
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