Everything is coming up Oranges!
On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, the 50 attendees at our Volunteer Town Hall heard some exciting news!
Sarah Bergin, Executive Director, gave an update on the organization, continuing the “grapes and oranges” analogy that you have heard us speak about for the past year or so.
The Souderton Shopping Center has served as our home base for over 49 years. As we have grown, we are operating much like a bunch of grapes. We’re connected to the same vine, but our shoppes and workrooms are the grapes, clustered around the shopping center. In the last six years, this arrangement has led to increasing inefficiencies as our donations and business has grown. To operate more effectively and efficiently, we seek to become more like an orange, which while it has distinct segments, is part of a well-packaged whole, all within one orange peel.
Today we announced that we believe we have found our orange. After an exhaustive search, we are happy to announce that we have signed a lease for a new location for Care & Share! We anticipate moving to 355 Maple Avenue, Harleysville. Many of you will know this location as the former Harleysville Insurance campus. We have entered into a lease-to-purchase contract for the large addition that is behind the historical three-story building that faces Maple Avenue.
This space provides:
129,500 square feet of modern, open space. We currently have about 55,000 square feet in the Souderton Center
Truck bays to allow ease in loading and unloading
Easy access from Route 113
Parking for over 1,000 cars
An area conducive to our donors dropping their donations off
Ability for our team members to be working together, to increase the opportunity to get to know each other and work productively
Energy efficiency. Solar panels on the roof will provide a significant portion of our electrical needs. Public water and sewer
A second floor to house offices, breakrooms, meeting space and similar
Elevators and modern restrooms
Ability to attach the trash compactor to the building to reduce unwanted dumping
No need for trailers in the parking lot!
Sarah explained that this is not a ‘done deal’. The lease and the move are subject to approval of the use by the Lower Salford Planning Commission. The building is currently zoned office and light industrial. The request for the retail use will go before the Commission in June. We cannot predict their timeline at this point. The internal ‘build out’ of the space won’t begin until after the Planning Commission provides its approval. If all goes well, we could be moving near our 50th Anniversary this November!
The new location is six miles from our existing operation on Route 113. We recognize that this is a significant change for Care & Share, and also for many of our team members. Throughout this process, the administration and the Board of Directors has been sensitive to the many groups that make up our organization. Careful consideration was given to the realities of recent years, where we see our top-line growth restrained by the space we have to sell from, and the inefficiencies that are brought about by the significant movement of merchandise that must occur from donation until it reaches the retail floor. The Board recently voted unanimously to move forward with the Harleysville site.
This project will include a future capital campaign to assist with the property purchase. Sarah gave examples of other MCC thrift shops, including one in western Pennsylvania, that have expanded and found they were able to give more to MCC. The Pennsylvania thrift that expanded took out a 30 year mortgage, but was able to pay it off in five years, with the former debt service now being provided to MCC!
How can you help right now?
Prayer. We need prayer warriors to guide what happens in the upcoming months.
Remain positive. Change can cause anxiety, but focusing on the benefits of this move when we talk together will encourage others and you.
Help us with the Capital Campaign. We are using an outside resource to help us, but any connections you may be able to help us make would be a great support.
Who you going to call?
Have questions? Concerns? Please bring them to your managers or to upper management. We will do our best to keep this process transparent. Talk to us to get the best facts available. If your managers don’t know, they will move your inquiries up. We don’t have all the answers right now, but we pledge to provide regular updates as events and circumstances unfold. In the meantime, we covet your continued support and participation in the work and mission of Care & Share!
