Sixty-five years later, the Corner Cupboard continues to embrace the Dayton community, with Patty Snyder at the helm.
“I was born and raised in Dayton,” Snyder said. “I was a member of the first graduating class of Alter High School in 1966.”
During her junior year in high school, Snyder started attending Carousel Beauty College after a friend, not wanting to go alone, convinced her. Snyder finished the program when she graduated from high school.
“It was kind of a fluke, but fun,” Snyder said. “But I never ended up working in a salon.”
Instead, Snyder got married in 1968, had two children and decided to be a stay-at-home mom until her children got older. Once they were in school, she worked at Elder-Beerman in downtown Dayton. She divorced and remarried in 1986 to Richard Snyder and moved to Columbus.
“Over the years I worked in human resources and when my husband retired, I stopped working and played a lot of golf,” Snyder said.
The couple moved to Florida to be near Snyder’s mother-in-law and after she passed away, she moved back home to Dayton. Her husband also passed away in Florida in 2013, so she wanted to move to be closer to her children and grandchildren.
“I was honestly enjoying my grandkids and helping watch them and take them where they needed to go,” Snyder said.
But then a close friend of hers changed everything for Snyder when she invited her to come to the Corner Cupboard to volunteer. She had heard of the thrift store since it was started by Catholics, though it is not a Catholic organization.
“I was attending my class reunion and told my friend I felt like I needed to do something meaningful,” Snyder said. “I liked it immediately and the atmosphere is so great!”
As a non-profit, the Corner Cupboard on Xenia Avenue in Dayton, is managed by a board of directors. Three years ago, Snyder was elected president after only serving on the board for a month. The thrift store continues to function as it originally did but today, the proceeds are donated to 46 different charities in the greater Dayton area.
“We accept just about everything, except for upholstered and large pieces of furniture,” Snyder said. “We are particular about what goes out on the floor for sale at the store.”
Today the organization has more than 100 volunteers and the list is growing. The store averages about 100 customers daily, which Snyder says is a large number for a small thrift store. But the need continues to be great, especially during an economic downturn.
“Most people who work here bring their friends to volunteer,” Snyder said. “There is a group of volunteers who all went to high school with me. We have groups of all sizes here.”
Snyder is not only proud of the all-volunteer crew who devotes hours to sorting through donations, delivering them to different departments and serving as cashiers and baggers, but also of the high school students from Chaminade-Julienne who work at the store as part of their community service projects.
“This is a great experience for them,” Snyder said. “They get to see people in here that range in age and are living on incomes below poverty level to people living in Centerville and Oakwood. We have a great customer base from all across Ohio.”
The Corner Cupboard does not advertise, preferring to keep expenses low. Instead they rely on satisfied customers to spread the world. Snyder insists that the store runs like any other department store, so volunteers spend their time keeping aisles clear and organizing and reorganizing items.
“This job keeps me young,” Snyder said. “I don’t feel my age (she is now in her 70s) at all and really enjoy it.”
Snyder often relies on her human resources background to help her develop a rapport with volunteers of all ages – they range from high school age to people in their 90’s. She calls the store “just a great place to be and shop.”
“The main thing for me is that I’m helping people through this job who really need help,” Snyder said. “Every charity we donate to — it could be helping someone who is homeless or has disabilities. Knowing this just energizes me. It’s just a great feeling.”
MORE DETAILS
What: Corner Cupboard Charities and Thrift Shop
Where: 504 Xenia Ave., Dayton
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
More info: (937) 252-5491
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