On the outskirts of Crapaud, a little thrift market is making a big difference.

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                Tucked behind St. John’s Anglican Church, the Church Mouse Thrift Shop draws many visitors every Saturday.

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                Some of them come to buy what catches their eye, others to give away what they do not need anymore.

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                All of them play a role in supporting the church’s mission: to help people.

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                Marion Miller works with the church to help as many people as possible, both in and outside of the community.

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                Miller, 75, operates the thrift shop with a group of volunteers and uses money earned to give back to the community.

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                Miller, the retired owner of the town’s Red Rooster Restaurant, took over the shop in 2019.

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                She said becoming the store’s manager filled a void in her life.

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               “[I] didn’t have the daily contact that I had with the community coming and going…and now I do.”

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               Miller, a warden of the church, has regular meetings with its council to discuss where the funds are distributed.

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               Each decision is determined by making a vote.

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              “From there, it’s decided what we do with it.”

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              The church has helped many organizations.

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              On P.E.I., they have donated books to the Charlottetown Rotary Club, children’s winter coats to the Salvation Army, and money to local projects like Englewood School’s playground expansion.

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              Off the island, the church has donated to Mission to Seafarers in Halifax, and to the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund, which provides humanitarian relief on behalf of the Anglican Church around the world.

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              Miller said the thrift shop plays an important role in supporting the church’s missions.

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             “We share the wealth.”

 

             The popularity of the shop has increased in the years since Miller took over, resulting in increased sales and donations.

 

            “They know us in our little country thrift shop that we give to these other places that are in need.”

 

            The shop sells everything from clothing and appliances to glassware and everything in between.

 

            It has attracted many customers like Catherine Ferguson.

 

            She said the shop is a place filled with treasures.

 

            “You can never count on getting anything, and you can get surprised when you get something,” Ferguson said.

 

            She added the shop helps give new life to the various items sold there.

 

            “It’s old, it’s outdated, but you may find somebody has turned it in here.”

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            Beyond selling merchandise and raising money, the thrift shop has also helped people in other ways.

 

            Cathy Pharo, the priest of the church, has seen the impact the shop has had on its visitors.

 

            She said many come there simply to have conversations and receive advice for their problems.

 

            “There’s some powerful stuff that happens on a Saturday that money can’t buy,” Pharo said.

 

            She also said the shop helps maintain a sense of community, even for those who are not regular churchgoers.

 

            “Maybe we’re not using the same words, but they’re living it, and I think that would be good with God.”

            

            Miller has also witnessed how the shop has influenced others, to the point that customers become volunteers.

 

            She said many people come to help because they like the atmosphere, with customers often opening and closing the shop.

 

            “That’s a great help, because that’s a big job, putting it all out and putting it all back in.”

            

            Outreach work and word of mouth has helped the thrift shop become a staple in the community.

 

            Miller hopes it will continue to help others for years to come.

 

            “People will step up, and everybody is just as capable as I am.”