In his 15 years working at the Daystar Life Center thrift store, Marty Vandersommen’s touch has been transformational.
“When Marty first started, the thrift store was a mess,” said Daystar executive director AnnMarie Briercheck. “It looked like a flea marketables piled with stuff, with no sense of organization. But he’s done an amazing job; he’s got a real gift for retail.”
Vandersommen, 68, recently retired as thrift store manager, but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving Daystar.
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“I started as a volunteer and now I’m a volunteer again,” he said, although he is now doing the nonprofit organization’s bookkeeping.
Daystar has a rule that retired employees can’t return as a volunteer at the same paid job they left.
In Vandersommen’s case, he had been volunteering as a bookkeeper while working as thrift store manager.
“Marty can never leave us,” Briercheck said jokingly.
Prior to moving to Citrus County from Miami in 1999, Vandersommen was in retail as a shoe store manager, first in Ohio where he’s from, then in Miami where he was transferred.
When the company went out of business, Vandersommen came to Citrus County where the cost of living was more affordable.
He began volunteering at Daystar in January 2004.
“That was a big year for me,” he said. “I had turned 50 that year, and I wasn’t working and didn’t have anything to do.”
He said at first he felt like a fish out of water, the only male volunteer in the thrift store.
“They didn’t know what to do with me,” he said. “So, I volunteered two days a week, and they had me taking care of the sheds outside, and if they needed me inside it was emptying the trash or vacuuming.
“I was going into my second year and said, this just isn’t for me. So, I went inside and asked the lady in charge, ‘Is there ANYTHING I can do in here?’ And she said yes.
“So, they showed me how to (merchandise) clothes. I knew about shoes, but not clothes,” he said.
After a while, he started thinking that he really should get a paid job somewhere. However, at that time, 2008, the economy was slow and jobs were scarce.
He went in to talk to the then-director and told him, “If you hire me, I’ll come here every day.”
Vandersommen added that the director just happened to be looking for someone who could run the thrift store every day.
By then, Vandersommen had already transformed the thrift store with his magical touch and organizational expertise and continued for the next 15 years.
He said that at 68, it was time to retire, at least at the thrift store.
“I’m getting old and I think I burnt myself out,” he said.
Briercheck said Vandersommen had wanted to retire a year ago, but she begged him to stay during the remodel and changes Daystar was making, especially to the thrift store.
“I wanted him to be part of the change, because no one has given the thrift store as much love and attention to detail as Marty has done,” she said. “He’s made a huge difference in the lives of people, not only here at Daystar, but also the people who come here with needs.
“He’s been a blessing, and we already miss him,” she said, “but we’re very happy he’s not leaving us. We all love Marty.”
One thing Vandersommen said about how the community can help Daystar’s focus on helping working families: Donate shoes, new or “very gently used.”
A big need is for men’s shoes, but not dress shoes, he said, casual shoes and sneakers, also non-skid kitchen shoes to wear to work at restaurants.
Daystar Thrift Store is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first Saturday of every month.
Bring donations of shoes, clothing, household goods and other items during those hours.
Daystar Citrus Life Center is at 6751 W. Gulf-to-Lake Highway, Crystal River.
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