Thrifts & Gifts volunteer supports local hospice provider

Dianne Compton has volunteered with AMOREM’s Thrifts & Gifts store in Valdese for nearly a year, but she’s been supporting hospice care much longer than that.

For more than 25 years, Compton has supported the hospice organizations in her local communities. As a restaurant owner in Rutherfordton, she provided special birthday treats to hospice patients. Later, after the death of her mother in hospice care, she managed the thrift store that supported the hospice organization there. She also served as a volunteer.

Last year, Compton started cleaning out her storage building and gathered about 15 wreaths she had made to donate to Thrifts & Gifts.

“They loved the wreaths and asked if I would come make wreaths to sell and volunteer at Thrifts & Gifts,” Compton said. “I thought, ‘Well, why not?’”

Compton’s favorite things to do at Thrifts & Gifts include making floral arrangements, working in the shoe department, and clearing off the back dock. Knowing her time at Thrifts & Gifts directly supports AMOREM’s mission is very rewarding.

All of the revenue from Thrifts & Gifts is used to support AMOREM’s mission. As a nonprofit hospice provider, AMOREM supplies end-of-life care to all patients and support to their families, regardless of their ability to pay.

“In the last year, AMOREM has provided more than $1.3 million of care that it was not reimbursed for,” AMOREM Senior Director of Marketing and Development Kerri L. McFalls said. “We are able to provide that care, regardless of if the patient has a payer source or not, because of the generous donations from donors and from the thrift store’s sales revenue.”

According to Compton, volunteering at Thrifts & Gifts is about more than just lending a hand. It’s about making connections, supporting your local community’s hospice provider, and being part of something that truly matters.

“You get much more than you give,” Compton said. “It’s more of a family than a workplace. We really care about each other.”

Thrifts & Gifts is actively recruiting volunteers to help with processing donations, staging the sales floor, and more. Those interested in volunteering should contact AMOREM’s volunteer services department at 828-754-0101 or fill out a volunteer application online at amoremsupport.org.

The store, at 148 Main St. E in Valdese, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations are accepted from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the same days, and for larger donations, a pickup can be scheduled by calling 828-874-4483.

Information about accepted items is available on the store’s Facebook page or by phone.

AMOREM was formed in 2021 through the merger of Burke Hospice and Palliative Care and Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care.

— JM