Your Stories: The Auxiliary of Saint Francis Welcomes All to “Repetitions”

Saint Francis Auxiliary member and past president Linda Pendergast wears the special earrings she found at Repetitions, and invites everyone to stop by and find their own treasures.

A yellow and blue flag proclaiming “OPEN” flaps in the breeze outside 114 Woodland Street every Tuesday through Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. The flag, along with a sidewalk sandwich sign, announces that Repetitions, the Saint Francis Auxiliary’s thrift store, is open for business. If you stop by on a Wednesday, you’ll find Linda Pendergast, longtime member and past president of the Auxiliary, ready to welcome shoppers and browsers alike with her warm smile and cheery greeting, to the two rooms chockful of wonderful secondhand finds.

Men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, and knickknacks are in one room and across the hall you’ll find everything you need for a cozy, elegant home: lamps, linens, decorative pillows, glassware, framed art, even some furniture—all at reasonable (even low) prices.

Linda, who has years of retail experience managing her own store, brings this expertise to Repetitions. She knows her clients and what draws them. “It’s a go-to place, not only for the employees of Saint Francis, but a lot of our customers are residents of Hartford, as well as hospital visitors—maybe patients or families who are waiting for test results—who just happen onto us,” she says. And they have varied needs.

“Some of our customers come in for one specific thing,” says Linda. “Others shop the store—what’s new since the last time? The woman who was just here browsed around for maybe 15 minutes and gathered a little stash of items. Some walk-ins want a distraction and a bit of conversation as they wait for an appointment or news. Then, there are customers who buy for others, whether it be family living in another country, or a friend who is homebound, or a grandchild. We have a gentleman who’ll probably be in later today. He’s furnished his apartment with items from the store. We also have some regular customers who just like our prices on clothes and come in to refresh their wardrobe. They end up with a big bag full of beautiful updates, and we end up with a nice bottom line for the day. That’s what I like about Repetitions. You get to know people who shop here regularly and get to know their story and what brings them back.”

Along with building community, Repetitions also earns money, which the Auxiliary sends directly to the hospital. “Oftentimes, we get requests from different departments that need certain items that their budget hasn’t covered. And we’ve been able to buy whatever they need from our profits.”

How much is profit? “Almost everything,” explains Linda. “Our staff is largely volunteers—assisted by Dawn Costanza, who manages the Auxiliary Gift Shop and her staff. And all our merchandise is donated. A lot of Saint Francis employees bring in items to us. We just had a very large estate collection arrive from an Auxiliary board member: bags and boxes and suitcases full of clothing and jewelry that had belonged to her relative.”

Nothing donated lingers long in the stockroom. “Whenever we receive new product, we price it and get it out onto the floor as soon possible,” says Linda. “That’s why it’s nice that there are always two of us on duty. Sometimes we’re busy with lots of customers and we also have to change displays. That’s part of good retail.”

And good retail translates to service to the community. “Over the years the Auxiliary has dedicated large sums, in terms of a pledge to the hospital. The Cancer Center comes to mind. We pledged $5 million some years ago, under Janet Newman’s presidency, and most recently a million to Women and Infants. Among other things, that gift bought car seats for newborns headed home.”

But for Linda, Repetitions really comes back to the people. Asked about her favorite “find” at the store, she pauses and smiles. “Awilda was a longtime volunteer, and she and I worked together. One day she saw these little blue earrings on display here and said, ‘Oh, Linda! These would be beautiful for you!’ So, for three dollars I bought them, and when I put them on, I think of Awilda. Those earrings are special to me.”

Linda urges all to come visit and support Repetitions, with both purchases and donations of goods. She acknowledges that Repetitions is a treasure tucked away from the central hospital core and offers this guide to those within: “Most employees know where Security is—that’s where everybody gets their badges. We’re right down the hall. And we’re here three days a week. We hope to see you soon!”

Submitted by Cynthia Rockwell, Board Member, Auxiliary of Saint Francis.

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