North Wales Mayor Neil McDevitt reads a proclamation honoring St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for donating over half a million dollars to their community via the church thrift shop. (Photo via Instagram: @stpetersnwales)
Shop has raised more than $500K since opening in 1992
A local fixture recently marked a major milestone in making a difference to the community.
North Wales Mayor Neil McDevitt read a formal proclamation last week for St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church to honor a major accomplishment.
“Their thrift shop has been in service to the community for 33 years, and this year they marked the amazing milestone of donating over half a million dollars to organizations in our area,” he said.
Located at 211 S. Main Street, the church was first established in 1776 and has undergone several expansions and a move in the years since, according to the church’s online history, while the thrift shop was established in 1992 as a way to support Nehemiah’s Way, part of the church’s outreach efforts to help women and children survive the effects of domestic violence.
“That is still here in the borough and is operated by Laurel House,” McDevitt said, citing the regional nonprofit headquartered in Upper Gwynedd that assists victims of domestic violence.
That first year the thrift shop raised $4,300, while those efforts have grown ever since, with the 2024-25 thrift shop contribution totaling over $32,000 in donations to Laurel House, Manna on Main Street, Gemma Services, and KenCrest Services, McDevitt said in the proclamation honoring the church, calling it “an amazing track record for our community.”
Those donations brought the total raised to $507,140 and counting, thus the proclamation declaring Nov. 23 to be “St. Peter’s Thrift Shop and Joanne Rittenhouse Day” in honor of the shop and its longtime manager.
“Joanne has been the manager for 15 years. Many people don’t stay at paying jobs for 15 years, and she has been the volunteer manager for that length of time, so thank you,” he said. “I ask residents to follow the example set by Joanne and St. Peter’s by committing to acts of selfless volunteerism to improve our communities.”
For more on St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and thrift shop, visit https://www.stpetersnorthwales.org/
