By BILL BENGTSON
The concept of thrift gets plenty of extra attention these days, with the country stuck in an economic quagmire, and it's opened a door of opportunity for Kathie Ulrich, known to some as the owner of God-Given Talent Thrift and Consignment Store, at Georgia and Marion avenues.
Ulrich, who is also a nurse with Pediatric Services of America, described her retail-based job as an answer to prayer. "I'm just a servant for the Lord. That's all. He just blessed me to open a business."
She opened the shop's doors in June 2009, looking to make the most of her talents and glorify God in the process. "Anybody that's got any kind of talent in this type of economy should just use it," she said.
"I've always wanted to start my own business, and to help people ... with their household at a real reasonable price, whether it's decorating, clothing for the children, pots and pans for the kitchen -- just anything that would make it easier on them."
The concept, she said, includes a consignment store with thrift-store prices on "anything that you think is still usable."
"We'll take your unused items and turn them into usable goods at a price that is reasonable, so instead of basically donating your item, you're turning your trash into treasure."
Among Ulrich's customers and consigning partners is Connie Greenwood, also of North Augusta. "I'm a bargain shopper, and ... it's a good environment," she said. "She knows how to treat the customers, and she's got some elegant-looking stuff in here."
Ulrich said the store's basis is Christianity and the notion that people can have nice clothing, a well-decorated home and all the basic furnishings without dropping big bucks at pricey stores.
She recalled running across a saying that summarized her attitude toward life: "When I stand before God, at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could say, 'I used everything You gave me.'"
When asked about her spare-time activities, she said, "Basically, I just like doodling around. I like sewing and arts and crafts -- any kind of arts and crafts -- upholstery, home-interior decorating ... Those are things that interest me. I'm just a creative person, but my passion is definitely decorating."
In terms of her profession, her preference is nursing in the geriatric field, she added.
One of her outreach efforts involves basic sandwich ingredients. "We go out ... and feed the homeless," she explained.
While the store is a for-profit operation, the sandwich outreach is "my personal thing," she emphasized.
Once a week, she goes to the local Dollar Tree discount store and buys the basic fixings for bologna sandwiches, prepares the sandwiches, wraps them up and hauls the goodies across the river for distribution once each week to the needy at the Salvation Army's facility on Greene Street.
"We do it after the store closes, after 5 o'clock," she said, referring to herself and two of her kids. "We go home. I go get the bologna and come home to my kids. We run a little assembly line. One puts the bread on. One puts the ketchup on. One puts the bologna on, and then we just wrap it, and that's it."
