30 Jun Given today’s world, let’s celebrate when something goes right!

Given today’s world, let’s celebrate when something goes right!

By Susan Parris

You’d be hard-pressed to find another place in our town like Experienced Goods, where a wide variety of people interact daily with such good vibes.  All who enter–customers, donors, volunteers, staff–create a shared experience of style, fun, generosity and friendliness that makes our store a unique destination. 

You may think Experienced Goods is about stuff, and on a basic level it is.  But really, our Store is about people.  First, there are the people we help–hospice and bereavement clients who are in the midst of seriously difficult times in life. Then there are the generous people who donate, shop and volunteer, creating a beautiful yin/yang of give and take as items recycle back and forth throughout our homes. And there are the exceptional people I want to highlight today: the store staff, The Crew, who did so much work to make this project a success.

This new incarnation of Experienced Goods is the vision of Gemma Champoli, who has been with the store since the late 1990s, first as Manager and now as Special Projects Coordinator.  Gemma has a deep commitment to our mission that infuses all she does. Her qualities of creativity, focus and excellence combine to give her superpowers!  When she commits to a vision, you know she will make it a reality and the final project will always exceed your expectations.  Our new store has certainly done that; all who walk in are praising Gemma’s accomplishment.

Our Manager, Karen Zamojski, holds the center of the store with great steadiness and compassion.  She’s the hub of our wheel–without her, the many parts in action each day would not hold together.  During her tenure as Manager, the Store has continued to climb in sales beyond our expectations, and Karen has balanced it all beautifully, even during these last few years of working retail during a pandemic.

I am grateful for Assistant Manager Eric Cutler’s work these past few years on the donation side of our business: He kept that crucial process running smoothly as we adjusted to the pandemic. Eric’s creative ideas and support were very helpful for Gemma in designing the store.  Jennie Reichman and Emma Champoli have kept our clothing and jewelry–key departments of our store—flowing in and out quickly so there’s always something new to find. You can thank Jennie for the great curtains that now adorn our dressing rooms, sewing being one of her many talents.  Mark Gintzler kept the housewares department moving–despite record donations!–and is always ready to step in and help.  Joan Zamojski is our resident fashionista, creating the amazing mannequin designs you see each day.  Imelda Reilly is with us for a second time, sharing not only her effervescence but her skill at sorting expertly through donations at record speed. New staff member Albert Berthiaume hit the ground running and was eager to pitch in.

Each one of these staff stepped forward and went far beyond their regular duties to make the move to our new space possible.  I am deeply grateful and impressed by the enthusiasm, hard work and good humor they consistently exhibited for months as we transitioned to 80 Flat Street. 

Many more people also worked hard behind the scenes….our staff, board of directors, donors, volunteers, local businesses, construction crews, our property managers–hundreds of people generously helped make this project happen.  

This new location is an investment in the future of our organization.  Often people don’t realize just how direct the line is from Experienced Goods to caring for people in our community, but many of you do know–the funding from this business is the reason we can stay independent and expand our services while other hospices in Vermont and the US have been contracting theirs over the years. 

I encourage you to stop by Experienced Goods and see the result–join us in celebrating when something goes right!