Second-hand shops in Cape May Court House, Seaville
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) has been operating its volunteer-based free clinic for the uninsured and underserved in Cape May Court House for more than 20 years.
All of the doctors and nurses, as well as most of the administration and thrift store staff, are volunteers and Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional owns the building.
VIM counts on community partners such as the Cape May County Department of Health, Cape Regional, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, Reef Family Pharmacy and Lab Corp. for help, but care costs remain.
That’s where the 501(c)3 organization’s thrift stores enter the picture.
“The two thrift stores combined cover two-thirds of clinic expenses,” VIM Executive Director Jackie Meiluta said.
She said their first thrift store opened about 10 years ago in Grapevine Shopping Center at 7 N. Wildwood Blvd. in Cape May Court House.
“Our board thought it was a smart way to have a reliable source of income,” Meiluta said.
The Cape May Court House location was so successful that they opened a satellite clinic in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, and a second thrift story to support it. When the lease was up, they decided to refocus on Cape May County and opened the newest thrift store in October 2024 in the Cedar Square Shopping Center at 2087 Route 9 in Seaville.
Meiluta said everyone benefits from thrift stores.
“Thrift stores are the original way of recycling, and keeping textiles out of landfills is a huge bonus,” she said. “They give donors a place to get rid of gently used items and economic shoppers a place to find quality items for less. It’s certainly a benefit to the community.”
VIM also holds a luncheon each September, when it honors a doctor or nurse, volunteer and community partner of the year.
Store manager Patty Marts has been with VIM since the first thrift store opened in 2014. She then opened the second thrift store off Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township before moving that operation to Seaville.
Marts said she lived in Upper Township for 15 years and knows the community well.
“It’s always been a wonderful community, close-knit and they take care of one another,” she said. “They really responded to our needs with wonderful donations.”
Marts said thrift stores represent a win all the way around by repurposing clothes that would end up in a landfill, providing the organization with a revenue stream to treat patients and providing items to shoppers at lower prices.
She said textiles take “a ridiculous amount of time” to break down and leech chemicals into the soil from dyes.
Marts said they even have a contract to pick up what they cannot sell with a company that repurposes the material.
VIM thrift stores carry men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories such as belt, ties, scarves and handbags, as well as household goods. They do not carry children’s items.
“We have only so much space, so we fill it with items that are in demand,” she said.
Marts said the Seaville store has been welcomed into the community.
“We love it there; everybody who walks in says they’re happy we’re here. It was a good move; we feel very welcome,” she said.
Marts noted that Seaville Pizza opened at about the same time and The Maple Tree is next door, so there is some foot traffic among the three stores.
Thrifting is not just for those in need anymore, Marts said.
“Everyone loves to go thrift store shopping now, all walks of life, all financial statuses,” she said. “The younger kids love it.”
She said the experience is a lot different than what people remember from decades past.
“We try to make the shopping experience good, not like stores years ago that were messy and smelly,” Marts said. “They are very organized, neat and clean. We get compliments on that every day. The merchandise is second-hand but you get a good shopping experience. The staff is always very helpful.”
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Volunteer staff
Primary Care: Mara Bucca, MD; Harry Chaikin, MD; Maria Jose Jimenez Cerna, MD; Tom Dierkes, MD (pediatrics); Mary Ann Haflin, MD; Lynn Helmer, MD; William Hooper, MD; Gina Kremer, APN; Andrew Sitkoff, DO
Specialists: Martin Carey, DPM (podiatry); Jong Choi, MD (acupuncture); Sallustio DelRe, MD (pulmonology); Gary Feinberg, MD (general surgery); Eliot Kaplan, MD (psychiatry); John Middleton, MD (infectious disease); Lawrence J. Naame, MD (orthopedics); Melind Pandya, MD (nephrology); David Roeltgen, MD (neurology); Greg Speed, LCSW (counseling); Birendra Tandan, MD (urology); Bennet Werner, MD (cardiology).
The clinic is located at 423 North Route 9 in Cape May Court House. Registration and an appointed are required. Visit vimsj.org or call (609) 463-2846 or (609) 778-2706 en espanol.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Cape May Star and Wave