Visit Bradley Memorial Gift Shop: An Eye-Opening Treat

Originally published in the Southington Citizen

Retirement has not stopped Southington native, Jackie Marenholz, from making a difference in her community. When she retired last June as Director of Religious Education at St. Dominic Church, we published a story in the Citizen about her 33 years in the world of religious education which included five years at St. Aloysius Church, a period as Kindergarten teacher in the early years of St. Dominic School, followed by her peak role at St. Dominic Church as its Director of Religious Ed since the early 1990s.

Always upbeat, warm and easy to talk to and work with, Jackie Marenholz has discovered that retirement can be sweet, as it offers many opportunities to open new doors and travel exciting and challenging new roads. After considering a number of options, she was soon drawn to the idea of doing some volunteer work at Bradley Memorial Hospital. She had her eye on helping the Gift Shop which presented an opportunity to use her naturally creative talents.

It did not take long for the leadership of the Auxiliary of the Hospital of Central Connecticut at Bradley Memorial Hospital to recognize the accomplished organization and planning skills and wealth of professional experience that Jackie Marenholz brought with her. Wisely, and with a good sense of talent, Auxiliary president, Joan Gillette, offered Marenholz the position of Gift Shop Manager which she accepted. Visitors to Bradley Hospital and the medical center are noticing the transition to "boutique look", some say, at the Gift Shop. Come along with us on a descriptive tour of some of the innovative offerings you'll discover there. An intentional trip might be a well-worthwhile venture.

First, there is no single look or focus, but rather an ever-changing array of distinctive gift ideas, quality gifts that tend to be moderately priced, hostess gifts, shower or birthday gifts, special items such as a new line of handbags along with seasonal and holiday items. Marenholz said that doctors and hospital staff shopped at the Bradley Gift Shop for Christmas presents. Innovations include books by local authors, such as "Beyond the Weeping Willow Tree" by Fr. Henry C. Frascadore and "Images of America: Southington" by Liz Campbell Kopec; a line of redneck wine glasses (an interesting line of mason jars on stem ware) and an exclusive line of Kringle Kandles, the only gift shop in Connecticut to carry them. Asked where she gets her ideas for exciting gift items, Marenholz said, "We use many sources and cover gift and fashion shows and we listen to our customers and our 37 volunteers, without whom we could not do what we’re doing! We also draw on all of these sources for our seasonal themes such as the green theme of this month." Marenholz adds that it has been extremely productive to make changes which the passerby will see every Monday.

Joan Gillette also pointed out that there’s a savings to customers in the exemption of sales tax on purchases at the Gift Shop which is a not -for-profit entity. The revenue of this little shop in the lobby of Bradley Hospital, along with the Auxiliary’s Annual Fashion Gala and other fundraisers, has resulted in contributions of more than one million dollars for improvements to the hospital such as a state-of the art mammogram machine, echo-cardiogram equipment, intravenous smart pumps, EKG machines and continuous help in upgrading medical equipment through the past sixty-five years.