The Midlothian Friends (Quaker) Meetinghouse, located in the village of Midlothian, Virginia.
The worship room at the Midlothian Friends Meetinghouse. Quakers worship in a simple manner. There is no pastor or human leader whatsoever. Worshippers simply seek 'that of God' within themselves and each other in a backdrop of silent meditation and prayer, punctuated by vocal ministry that may be spontaneously offered by any worshipper moved by the Spirit to do so. Quakers focus on 'Love and Light' instead of doctrines, believing that the Spirit is willing to come to each of us on our terms and perceptions, then work within us from where we are in order to bring us on a personal journey to where we need to be.
|
About UsThe Thrifty Quaker brings you and those in need together! Every time you shop or donate gently used items at the store, you are helping mostly local charities and people in our community who are in desperate need. You receive the satisfaction of giving to others just by purchasing our great bargains on everything!
So pay us a visit! And when you stop by, also bring us your gently used items as a donation, for a tax receipt. We accept anything you might sell at a yard sale. You will find that by donating these items to us, you will glean as much or more money by claiming a tax deduction than you would by selling them at a yard sale. Who We AreThe Thrifty Quaker, along with Friend$hare are divisions of the non-profit corporation, The Quaker Thrift Store, Inc.
The Thrifty Quaker was created by Midlothian, Virginia Quakers in 1996 for the sole purpose of helping others by raising funds to support the charitable work of twelve varying, mostly local charities each year. These charities are chosen by Midlothian Friends Meeting (Quakers). Forms to designate a charity may be found and submitted at The Thrifty Quaker. Friend$hare, also created by Midlothian Quakers in 1999, raises funds used to provide one-time financial assistance to people in crisis that could result in them losing housing, health, utilities, employment, transportation, or other emergency needs. People in the community are invited to contribute directly to Friend$hare by writing your check to Friend$hare and mailing it to P.O. Box 1003, Midlothian VA 23113. Or, you may simply take your check into The Thrifty Quaker. One Hundred per cent of funds contributed to Friend$hare by you go directly to people in need, because Friend$hare is administered by volunteers. There is no overhead associated with it. Once operating expenses are paid each month, all of our proceeds from sales at The Thrifty Quaker go to help people in need. We provide 75% to 100% of these proceeds to the charity of the month, and the rest to individuals in crisis through our Friend$hare program. Additionally, through The Thrifty Quaker, millions of dollars worth of surplus goods have been given to charitable organizations helping people in crisis. The Thrifty Quaker also provides the public with information about the charities it supports, along with a friendly place for people in the community to volunteer. Since 1996 Midlothian Friends Meeting (Quakers) through The Thrifty Quaker has provided financial grants to over a hundred different charities, totaling well over $400,000. Additionally, through Friend$hare nearly $90,000 has been given to 250 individuals recommended to receive emergency financial assistance by trusted sources like Social Services agencies. Meditation Garden on the meetinghouse grounds. The wooded setting of the Midlothian Friends Meetinghouse is conducive to the prayerful and meditative nature of Quaker worship.
|
Our History"Peacemaker of the Year" award given to The Thrifty Quaker in 2015
|
Quakers have a long history, since the mid-1600s, of putting into practice the teachings of Jesus: compassion, forgiveness, and love. It is with this conviction that the Midlothian Friends Meeting (Quakers) created The Thrifty Quaker and Friend$hare.
At that time these local Quakers did not even have a meetinghouse to worship in. Still, they created The Thrifty Quaker with the promise (written in the store's by-laws approved by the IRS) that absolutely no proceeds from operating the store could ever be used towards the purchase, construction, or maintenance of a future meetinghouse. To this day, this is still the standard adhered to. So, you can be certain the money you spend on purchases at the store, and the money gleaned from your donated items are all given to mostly local charities and people in need (after operating expenses). In 2015 this important effort of Midlothian Friends Meeting (Quakers) was recognized by the Richmond Peace Education Center (RPEC). They named The Thrifty Quaker "Peacemaker of the Year". |
