We are called to be good stewards of the Earth, to cherish the gifts we have been given and to repurpose what we don't want or need. At the Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland, those principles are brought to life and put into practice, all for the good of others and ourselves.

"We have people who are buying furniture pieces and refinishing them or repurposing them," said Sherry Duda, who's been a co-general manager of the Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland for six years. "We feel we save a lot of clothing from going to the landfill. If we can't sell it, we'll send it to resource centers. We try to recycle as much as we possibly can. That is a big part of what we do, and I don't think the community knows about it."

Providing a unique and economical shopping experience is another big part of what the Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland does. The thrift store, which is located at 707 W. Main St., New Holland, sells gently used or new home decor, jewelry, books, housewares, clothing and furniture.

Specializing in bargains and rare finds, the Re-Uzit Shop's 30,000-square-foot sales floor features a large vintage area, a year-round Christmas area, a book area and 50-cent clothing bins.

The Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays.

"We sell everything," said Duda. "It feels like a department store. It's shopping with thrift-store prices. It's very clean. It's very organized. We always decorate the front windows. You can literally spend all day here it's so big. You'll see couples come in, and the woman is shopping downstairs, and the man will be upstairs sleeping in the furniture department."

"We always try to balance improving our facility and making the shop experience enjoyable," said Andy Clayton, who's been a co-general manager of the Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland for six years. "We're trying to make things nice and make people feel comfortable."

The Re-Uzit Shop consistently generates $2 million in sales annually, through about 400 transactions each day. Ninety percent of those profits goes to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) causes, and the other 10% benefits nonprofits like local ministries, police and fire and ambulance associations.

As much as 99% of the thrift store's merchandise is donated by local residents, churches, retailers and retirement communities. The Re-Uzit Shop of New Holland stations donation boxes throughout the area and will pick up certain gently used items through a reservation form that can be filled out at https://newhollandreuzit.org.

"Working here serves a mission of helping local people and people around the world," said Clayton, a resident of Leola. "That's really rewarding. It's a win-win. Everybody who buys something is helping other people, and the person who buys it gets a good deal. People who volunteer here make friends. It does take a village, and that's what we have here."

The Re-Uzit Shop receives as many as 300,000 visits each year, mostly from locals, but also from people from surrounding communities and from all over Lancaster County and even tourists.

"It's like a destination," said Clayton. "We have members from a local plain community who come here regularly. I think a lot of people drive by a large building and don't know what's inside. I think if they came in, they'd be surprised by what's inside."

"We have a lot of customers who walk in the front door and it's almost like an instant 'wow' on their faces," said Duda, a resident of Ephrata. "I think we're seeing a lot more of the younger generation who are interested in repurposing. We have large groups of women who just love to thrift shop, and they'll hit all the thrift shops in the area."

Established in 1976, the Re-Uzit Shop, which employs 10 full-time workers and 12 part-timers and benefits from the work of 150 volunteers, was originally located in New Holland's downtown business district before moving to its current location in 2011. Locally, MCC also operates thrift stores in Ephrata, Mount Joy, Gap, Willow Street, Morgantown, Mechanicsburg and Belleville.