An active advocate for the Thrift Shop and one of three chairpersons, Penny Thumith has had a vision for the shop's new location for some time.

Being a first-hand recipient of the kindness and caring that she witnessed at St. Andrews Hospital, as husband Ken's life was ending, she has a special mission to ensure that St. Andrews stays here in Boothbay Harbor.

Thanks to a joint effort between Thumith and others, the Thrift shop is moving just a few shop doors away from its present location. The former Waltz Pharmacy retail space, which was to the left of the House of Pizza and within the Meadow Mall Shopping Center, will be the new Thrift Shop location.

This move affords the organization to expand and offer more furnishings as well as clothing and smaller useful items.

Thumith spoke about how important the Thrift Shop is to the community as well as to the hospital that receives the proceeds.

"It helps the hospital to stay here. It has been my vision to move and expand the shop to create space for larger useful items. It is something that our community needs," said Thumith.

Manned by an all-volunteer staff, the thrift shop's storefront will have higher visibility and accessibility to passing pedestrians.

Thumith feels that the shop is a ministry unto itself, meeting the needs of the community in good and bad times. Those who have lost their homes to fire, young single parents just starting out, and affluent members of our community, all shop at the Thrift Shop.

She praises local electrician, Fred Stover for donating his time; Rollins Hale for donating racks from his former swimwear store; the general community for giving so much, and the 50-plus volunteers who run the shop Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The new location will have carpeting and donations can still be made behind the new facility.

Until the actual move takes place, the shop will continue to hold a $3-a-bag sale until Thanksgiving.

Thumith would like to invite community members to join her in trying to build a deck on the front of the patient care portion of the hospital by donating to a fund that she has started in her late husband's name, the Kenward Thumith Deck Fund.

When built, the deck will create a place for grieving families of dying loved ones to go as they spend time, often a great deal of time, at St. Andrews Hospital.