Bradenton Herald Logo

Christ Church Thrift Shop offers shopping - and Lolly's stories | Bradenton Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Crime
    • Local
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Lakewood Ranch Herald
    • Lottery
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • Special Projects
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Breaking News Blog
    • I Am Woman Hear Me Write
    • All Sports
    • Rays
    • Spring Training
    • Bucs
    • High Schools
    • FSU
    • UF
    • USF
    • Outdoors
    • Tennis
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • David Wilson
    • Alan Dell
    • Jason Dill
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • All Business
    • Real Estate News
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Port Manatee
    • All Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cooking With Local Chefs
    • Gulf Coast Cooking
    • Cravings by Janelle O'Dea
    • All Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Fairs & Festivals
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Restaurants
    • Local Events
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Marty Clear
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters
    • Opinion Columns
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • About Us

Religion

Christ Church Thrift Shop offers shopping - and Lolly's stories

By RICHARD DYMOND - rdymond@bradenton.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 09, 2015 12:00 AM

MANATEE -- The Christ Episcopal Church Thrift Shop, which uses its profits to help the area's needy, is among Bradenton's best kept secrets, perhaps because it is not on a main road, said its colorful manager, Lolly Weaver.

"I have had people in the neighborhood come by and, 'We didn't know what this was,' Weaver said last week of the store located across the street from the church at 4030 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

While it is true that store regulars, who patronize the establishment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, gave $17,457 for books, clothes, cookware, glassware, furniture and other items donated by congregation members in 2014, many came into the store just to hang out with Weaver and her husband, Jim. The Weavers are engaging storytellers and just plain fun to be around, especially when they brew fresh coffee and put out cookies for their patrons.

"They can pick you up if you are having a bad day," said Marilyn Moroni, one of a handful of volunteers who staff the store for Lolly Weaver, who has been a volunteer for four years.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Bradenton Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

"I would pay them to let me volunteer here," Moroni added of the store, which was formerly a house that the church bought, complete with a sparkling terrazzo floor in one room.

On a recent Saturday around 1 p.m., which is precisely when the Weavers are on duty, the subject matter for the day included all their passions, which are Jim's pet frog, Valencia, meeting your spouse via Internet, which they did, the church's creative outreach programs, and Jim Weaver's age.

"I'm 69," the sun-creased Jim Weaver told his wife in his calm voice.

"You're kidding me!" said Lolly Weaver, who first met her husband-to-be on Jan. 20, 2008 and, apparently, had never asked how old he was.

"We had both had prac

tice spouses before we met each other," Lolly Weaver said. "I had moved down here in August, 2007 and I wrote on this Internet site, 'I hate it here. I'm miserable. Someone help.'"

Jim Weaver, who has a PHD and was a marine biologist, wrote back, "I love the sun. I love islands. I love the ocean. Let me show you how you can love them, too."

That's how they started.

Now, Lolly Weaver raises butterflies from caterpillars in the couple's home and sometimes brings them into the store for customers to see.

"I am adored by a frog," Jim Weaver said.

"She loves him," Lolly Weaver said of the frog. "She knows him. He carries her around."

Jim Weaver has trained Valencia to jump for crickets. Jim Weaver has put videos of Valencia on You Tube.

But when it comes to the Christ Church outreach, the Weavers get serious.

The Weavers list off the church's biggest out-reaches, which include a pair of once-a-year events -- a shoe collection for the needy where church members bring new and barely used shoes to church called Barefoot Sunday in April and Sock It To Me on Undie Sunday in November where church members donate new underwear and socks. There is also a monthly event called Free Haircut Day and a weekly event called Lord's Pantry, which feeds the poor from 2-4 p.m. every Tuesday in a building behind Pinnacle Medical Group, 4110 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

"I am stunned and humbled by how broad is the reach of this church," Lolly Weaver said.

Free Haircut Day, which is the second Tuesday of each month, is 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 at the Lord's Pantry. At that time, anyone who needs a haircut can get one courtesy of the church and Real Vision Barber Academy, said Christ Church Deacon Michael Sircy.

"We do the haircuts to make people feel better about themselves," Sircy said. "A lot of people who are down and out don't have self-esteem. But when you look good, you feel good."

The Weavers also applaud Sircy and fellow deacon Gretchen Platt for their constant visiting of the ill and dying.

"Our deacons are deep into this community," Lolly Weaver said.

At Barefoot Sunday this year, more than 1,200 pairs of shoes were dropped off," said The Rev. Joel Morsch , the church's rector the last nine years.

The church, which has four services on Sunday, including a Spanish-language service at 1 p.m., started Sock It To Me on Undie Sunday because if people got new shoes they still needed new socks and underwear to go with them, said Heather Whelan, the facilitator for the Christ Church evangelism and outreach committee.

"We have a very mature group of Christians at our church and many are involved in different social agencies," Whelan said. "Unfortunately, we don't have to look far to find people in need."

Whelan, whose husband, Patrick teaches world history at St. Stephen's Episcopal School next door to the church and whose youngest son, John, 14, is the best chess player at St. Stephens, continues to be amazed by what Christ Church's congregation members have done.

"We are all really shy for the most part," Whelan said of the church members. "We would rather put the focus on programs and need rather than the givers."

"We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves," Morsch said.

At least two Bradenton Episcopalians extend one of God's greatest commandments to a frog.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

  Comments  

Videos

‘It’s all about the food.’ How this family celebrates Hanukkah

Rabbi honors those whose lives were cut short at the Tree of Life synagogue

View More Video

Trending Stories

Bradenton man was shot dead by masked intruder. Victim was living with intruder’s relatives, cops say

February 16, 2019 12:26 PM

Have you seen one of these 5 Manatee fugitives? If so, you could earn a cash reward

February 16, 2019 08:45 AM

The tides might be changing, but it’s time for celebration at Cortez Fishing Festival

February 16, 2019 04:59 PM

This woman will become Manatee-Sarasota’s first female chief judge this summer

February 16, 2019 06:00 AM

Lakewood Ranch’s playoff run ends in state semifinals

February 16, 2019 09:58 PM

Read Next

Religion

NJ dioceses name nearly 190 Catholic priests credibly accused of sex abuse

By JEREMY ROEBUCK, MICHAELLE BOND AND KRISTIN E. HOLMES The Philadelphia Inquirer

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 13, 2019 03:00 AM

Facing pressure from state investigators and greater calls for transparency from the faithful, New Jersey's five Roman Catholic dioceses released the names Wednesday of nearly 190 priests who they said had been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over decades.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Bradenton Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE RELIGION

Religion

Harvest Bible Chapel senior pastor James MacDonald has been fired from the church he founded

February 13, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Editorial: The Southern Baptist Convention sex scandal shows every institution is vulnerable

February 13, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Harrisburg diocese launches compensation program for victims of sex abuse by clergy

February 12, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Roman Catholic dioceses in N.J. announce victim-compensation funds

February 11, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Roman Catholic dioceses in NJ announce victim-compensation funds

February 11, 2019 03:00 AM

Religion

Roman Catholic dioceses in New Jersey announce victims compensation funds

February 11, 2019 03:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Bradenton Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Advertise with Us
  • Special Sections
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story