By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

An over 60-year-long tradition is coming to an end in Berlin.

Town residents and visitors will have just a few more weeks to stop in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s beloved thrift shop, The Church Mouse, until the storefront closes its doors for good on Dec. 21.

The brick-and-mortar has been in business at its current location, 101 North Main Street in Berlin, since around 1985.

Before that, The Church Mouse existed in a few different capacities. Its first rendition was as an attachment of the Atlantic Hotel.

It then moved to Old Ocean City Boulevard before settling where it is today.

The store is run exclusively by volunteers and features household items like teapots, clothing pieces, jewelry, books, and more, all affordably priced. The profits support local, national, and global charities and organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, health departments, Worcester Youth and Family, various homeless shelters, and The Cricket Center.

Director of the store Helen Wiley, who has managed the shop since 2007, said that St. Paul has elected to cease retail operations at the physical storefront to save money on operational expenditures and devote more of its financial resources to community outreach.

“The authority comes through St. Paul’s, and they have decided that instead of taking the money that we would be used for rent and other expenses, we could come up with different ways to raise the funds so that more could go to outreach,” she said.  “When you spend that money, it takes away from what you really want to do.”

While The Church Mouse will no longer serve in its current form, St. Paul’s intends to keep the spirit of the thrift shop alive. The religious group is forming a committee to devise ideas to raise funds for homeless shelters and charitable organizations. For instance, Wiley noted that the church may sell items like puzzles and costume jewelry and partner with other churches for philanthropic projects.

Dec. 21 is the last day shoppers can visit the shop that has served Berlin and surrounding communities for over half a century. Aside from the budget pieces and the financial support they offer to the area, Wiley said that the positive and friendly atmosphere The Church Mouse has created is just as important.

“It’s not just what we have here,” she said. “We have clothing and household items that are affordable for folks. But some people come in here and just decide that they feel comfortable. They feel happy here. They feel they can share their stories and whatever is going on in their lives. And we listen. We listen to the folks. That is also part of our outreach mission.”

“People come from New York and other states and even other countries and say, ‘I heard I have to come to The Church Mouse,’” Wiley continued. “It’s because of the warm feeling they get when they walk in the door. We are all very emotional about [the closing]. We will miss the folks we have met over the years and the friendships we have developed, but we will cherish it and continue to reach out to those people.”

For Wiley, operating the store has been “24/7.” From getting calls about incoming donations to organizing volunteers, sorting through the pieces, and determining price and placement, the job has been all-encompassing but rewarding.

“It takes a village to run this place,” the director said. “It’s a lot of hours beyond just our open times.”

The store must be cleared off all its merchandise by the last day of the year. Shoppers will be welcome until Dec. 21. After that, anything left will be donated to organizations like Diakonia and the Stevenson United Methodist Church’s Spirit Kitchen, a group that provides free meals to the community each week. Leftover children’s clothing may be given to Worcester County Public Schools.

For its final few weeks, The Church Mouse will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.