Teddy Coffin (left) and Diane Cordner attire Molly the mannequin on the stairway to Bargains in the Belfry at the Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church on the Common. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

On Tuesday, Sept. 28, the resale shop operated by the Women's Alliance of the Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church will reopen for the season, after its summer break. The consignment shop, located on the second floor of the white church at the top of the Common, sells gently used women's and men's clothing, accessories, small household goods, and books. The shop opened its doors for the first time in 1975, the idea of church members Ellie Fine, Elsie Goedeke, and Doris Sawyer, and is one of the main sources of fundraising for the church.

According to treasurer and co-chairman Teddy Coffin, all the profits are used to support church and community organizations. "We have donated to places like the Clara Barton Camp—for children afflicted by diabetes; Camp Thorpe—for children and adults with special needs; and on a regular basis to Loaves and Fishes food pantry at Devens," she says. "I have to say, the best part about Bargains in the Belfry is knowing you're helping the community. We have customers from Ayer, Shirley, and other surrounding towns."

Bargains in the Belfry is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday until June. They accept consignments of good quality merchandise, with the exception of children's items, which are regulated under the Consumer Product Safety Law in response to a plethora of recalls. Donations are also accepted.

"My co-chair, Diane Cordner, and I want people to know that Bargains in the Belfry is for the whole community," Coffin says. "Anyone can consign and anyone can volunteer. In fact, we have a need for volunteers to work three-hour shifts either in the morning or afternoon."

For more information about the resale shop contact co-chairmen Teddy Coffin at 978-456-3271 or Diane Cordner at 978-456-8090.