Volunteers are the heart of Heirlooms

MONTROSE--Holiday shoppers searching for unique gifts are likely to find them at Heirlooms for Hospice, an upscale resale shop in the beautifully renovated historic Bryant Building downtown.

A glance in the windows is enough to entice anyone to open the oak-and-glass door and step inside the warm, festive store run by a small staff and approximately 80 volunteers. Donated gently used items to fit any budget are all treasured and attractively displayed, whether a $1 stuffed animal, a $4 Ralph Lauren shirt, high-end turquoise jewelry or china dish sets ranging from $90 to $400. Some new items, which store manager Carla Gartner calls "little bits of frosting," fill in the gaps.

Everything in the shop sparkles. Volunteers like Joe Vigil polish silver. George Works, a retired chemical engineer, comes in Wednesdays to sort clothes, polish wooden furniture and do whatever needs to be done in the back workroom. He was so appreciative of the home hospice care his late wife Virginia received that he wanted to give back something in return. "Ten days after she passed away, I came down and said 'Put me to work. I want to volunteer.'"

Works says Heirlooms is like a family. "We all had lunch in the back today. Midge brought homemade frijoles and tamales. I look forward to Wednesdays so much," he said. "These girls need my help," he chuckled.

Proceeds from the Montrose shop benefit Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado services in Montrose and Ouray counties, said Gartner. The parent organization, a nonprofit headquartered in Grand Junction, also has an Heirloom store there and in Delta. The Montrose store has raised $75,000 this year for the organization's hospice programs here, Gartner said.

Gartner calls Heirlooms' volunteers the store's heart. Many, though not all, are retired. They include teachers, homemakers, business owners, engineers and people from all walks of life. "They're the glue that holds it all together," she said. "They all believe so strongly in the mission of hospice," she continued. Many have been personally touched by its services through family or friends.

"We're humbled every day by our volunteers," Gartner said. "We learn so much from them. They have so much to offer. If you count all their experience, education and years in the workplace, it's just amazing. There's a place for everyone."

Gartner called Dominick Caruso, who dropped off wrapping paper and calendars on a recent visit,  "the go-to guy if we have donations that need to be picked up." Caruso loads larger items in his trailer. Other volunteers have backgrounds in floral design and merchandising. One ran an antique store. "Whatever dilemma we encounter, there's always a resident expert," Gartner said. "We're blessed."

Another volunteer is Kay Omernik, an owner of Jeans Westerner. "I've volunteered (at Heirlooms) since it opened," she said. Her experience with a Minneapolis hospice that cared for her sister led her to volunteer here, she said. "I love it. I've met so many wonderful people. We make money for hospice and we have a great time. I'm always amazed at the beautiful things that are donated."

Heirlooms was the brainchild of "Christy Whitney, our CEO," said Gartner. Whitney wanted hospice to have a place in the community for people to socially connect and reconnect if they lost a loved one, Gartner said. She described the environment as loving, caring and safe. "If people come in they automatically have 80 family members," she said. She describes Heirlooms as the face of hospice in the community.

Whitney envisioned a nonprofit shop where people can donate treasures. "The items donated are given new life with respect and dignity," Gartner said. "Everything here meant something to to someone."

Gartner, a Montrose native, was a flight attendant for United Airlines for 20 years before deciding to return home after 9/11 to raise her child and be closer to her family. She decided to volunteer at hospice after hearing a speaker talk about the organization's needs. "I thought I had nothing to offer," she recalled. "I had never lost anyone close to me. However, a year after coming on board with hospice my mother was diagnosed with cancer," she said. Gartner's personal experience with hospice led her to her job with Heirlooms.

Hospice is about living and reconnecting, Gartner said. "The good Lord took my mom, but in His goodness he gave me 75 others." Gartner, who has managed Heirlooms for several years, is stepping down in January to spend more time with her family but plans to stay connected as a volunteer. Sally Lawson, who is assistant manager, will take over as manager then, assisted by Kendra Cossairt.

One regular customer, Barbara Bradley of Montrose, said she finds great bargains at Heirlooms. "I've found clothes, toys, and a rocking chair to rock my son in," she said. "I even found a little wooden rocking horse for him when he was barely big enough to climb on it by himself. It goes for a great cause."

Heirlooms for Hospice accepts donations of furniture, books, music, collectibles, antiques, home furnishings, kitchen accessories, sporting goods, men's and women's clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and other items. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The address is 435 E. Main St., Montrose. For more information call 252-3648.

Contact Kathy Erbacher via e-mail at kathye@montrosepress.com