A thrift shop can be a menagerie of used hand-me-downs, cleaned and refurbished and placed on a shelf to hopefully catch a customer’s eye. Things thought useless or broken can be mended and recycled and can become exactly what someone needs. Sometimes a thrift shop can serve a greater purpose, to both the community it serves and to the people who work there.
Ermel’s Emporium was born from the needs of the community, for in 1997 the St. James Methodist Church began seeking a way to expand their outreach to those with financial hardship. In February of 1999, the church rented the commercial property at 111 Eureka Street from Central City’s Masonic Lodge and Ermel’s Emporium first opened its doors.
The hard working ladies at Ermel’s Emporium were in a back room, taking a look at what had been donated that week, when I came to interview them. The store was closed that day, on Monday, April 25, but the ever vigilant team was there dusting glassware and washing clothes. They turned their latest finds over in their hands, inspecting them and preparing them to be put out in one of their showrooms for perusing customers to ogle.
Ermel’s is run completely by volunteers of all faiths, or none, and all profits go back into the community, funding programs to help Gilpin County residents with financial assistance.
“We are making money to give to people in the community that have emergency financial problems,” Ermel’s volunteer Sharon Perea explained. “Maybe their car broke down, they can no longer work meaning they might not be able to pay the rent. If we take their application and work it out we can really help somebody get out of a jam.”
“One of our weekend volunteers is with us now because Ermel’s helped her when she had a house fire years ago; and she’s always been so grateful for that so now she’s here every weekend,” volunteer Sharon Bell said.
“It’s a great team, and it’s a great purpose. You really feel connected in helping people in a lot of different ways,” Perea added.
If Ermel’s were just like any other thrift shop, it might not have such dedicated volunteers willing to come in on “a day off.” But it’s clear in how the small storefront is immaculately kept and organized that the staff at Ermel’s love what they do.
“I love Gilpin County and I love being able to help out; I just think this is the best place to live and I love being able to give back a little,” Bell said.
“I just love this town and working with these wonderful people and giving back to the community,” Ermel’s volunteer for 16 years Willy Lickey mentioned how much she’ll miss Ermel’s and all her friends in Central City, as she’s soon retiring out of state.
Ermel’s Emporium is a foundation to the community, elevating it beyond just another featured business. Ermel’s volunteers dedicate themselves to taking care of those who need help the most. Anything that is given or procured that can’t be sold at Ermel’s is still cleaned, patched up, and made new to donate to many of the Gilpin County non-profit businesses servicing those in need.
“We give to the Food Bank; we give to Tommyknockers and to the school prom,” Lickey said, referring to the Tommyknockers Holiday Bazaar held in the historic Teller House. “And Sharon organizes at Christmas time giving the clothes and presents to donate.”
“We give the children’s clothes to the school and some of the first and second grade teachers,” Perea said.
“We also give some kids clothes to the Nederland Clothing Closet,” Bell said.
“So we try to utilize everything; and anything we can’t use we’ll send them someplace where we’re sure they can use it,” Perea added.
Each member of Ermel’s has a specific job to do as they go through the boxes and bags of donations from all over the state. From sorting, cleaning, pricing and displaying the items, to maintaining the storefront and decorating the windows.
“We get paid in friendship and fun; we do have fun here,” Perea laughed.
“I was asked to help one day and then I never left,” volunteer Dorothy Sweet added.
“That’s the same way with Sharon; she was gonna come in for just a few hours every once in a while to help us, and here she is, every week. That’s the way we all are,” Lickey said.
“We like the people we work with,” volunteer Robbie Zmuda mentioned. “I worked out of town and always felt like I was missing out on local stuff. So once I retired I wanted to be someplace local and this was it!”
Though many were present for our interview, the women wanted to be sure to mention their weekend volunteers, Betty Mahaffey, Barbara Trick, Cindy Olsen, and Linda Lehrer.
Ermel’s Emporium had begun as a “junk store” in just one single room, but quickly evolved as they received higher quality donations and a greater variety of items. In the last 23 years Ermel’s has expanded to selling books, movies, kitchenware, various household necessities, and electronics. With the addition of an adjacent room they have room to sell children’s toys, linens, tools, and a great variety of used clothing.
“It’s like every Monday is Christmas. You’re opening up bags and boxes finding out what people are getting rid of and then you find a way to recycle that,” Perea said. “And we have such a great group to work with that it’s not like going to work at all.”
Ermel’s staff banter and laugh as they tell stories about the variety of customers they meet. With each customer comes their own particular tastes and needs, which the ladies of Ermel’s strive to accommodate.
“I sometimes work on the weekends and I love the people that come up here from down below,” Sweet noted. “They come up to gamble and they stop in here and they buy things every single time. That’s fun to meet them and tell them about the town.”
“We have such a good reputation and we’re always hearing how this is the cleanest, neatest, nicest store; and of course they’re always happy with the prices,” Perea said.
“I remember one time a guy came in needing a suit. We don’t get a whole lot of suits in because we just don’t have a lot of room,” Bell mentioned. “He had found the perfect suit that just fit him, and he was going to an interview. He was so excited that he found a suit that fit him.”
“There was one man, he was working on one of the big events on Main Street,” Sweet said. “He came running over here and said ‘my pants seam has burst open’. He went and found a pair of pants for himself and kept working.”
The volunteers of Ermel’s were sure to mention their upcoming Bag Sale; an inventory clearing event with a bit of a twist taking place the weekends of May 13, 14, 20 and 21.
“Twice a year we rotate out our clothing room so we’re getting ready to take all our summer clothes and do a Bag Sale,” Bell said. “Customers get a white trash bag and they can take anything from the clothing room and put it in that bag for five dollars, and we do that for two weekends.”
Ermel’s Emporium is more than another shop in Central City. Though their volunteers will gladly go out of their way to help you find whichever knick- knacks you need for the empty spaces of your apartment, Ermel’s is more than that. It’s an invaluable resource to their community, turning what some may no longer want into things that some may truly need.
Ermel’s Emporium is located at 111 Eureka Street in Central City and is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 303-582-1797.
Sponsored by Gilpin County Commissioners, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
