Vintage Market (The Blessing Board) — Local services in Shaler Township

The Appointment: D-day rolls around and We are headed to McKeesport around 6:30 am. Because it's a Saturday there are no Mckeesport express buses, so we must catch two buses and walk up from the Blvd. lt wasn't so bad ,except we were in the middle of a snow/ice storm and not one road nor sidewalk was salted, so we skated down Market street in the freezing cold. The hope of furniture kept us warm and cheerful.

The Moment of Truth: After we gave our information an waited a while the tall man with a beard whom greeted us earlier, walked to the front of the room. He sits in a chair and asks everyone to please turn off our cellphones. We do. Everyone, including the children become quiet to hear what he has to say. It must be important after all. He first begins with speaking about love and how the mission is to love. So far so good, but then it takes a turn. He begins to talk about the mission of Tom, the founder and how he just saw a need. He saw people who have and those who have not. I continued to listen. He began to talk about God and how we all have a hole we need to fill. I'm a Christian ,so it didn't bother me; but the next thing did. He began to say Some people fill it with drugs, Alcohol, sleeping with people ... Wait, children are in the room, go back to love please. He begins telling a Bible Story. The Story of Jacob the trickster. A Story about "a man whom tricked and lied though out his life, but God gave him a promise like Cathy on the phone did. She made a promise and that promise was furniture." Yes, he actually said that. " The furniture doesn't fill the hole, only God can fill it." He then goes into the Attitude Speech, mind you everyone is cheerful, happy and appreciative, however he says.." You see that door? That door is everything to me. I don't know what happened last night, maybe you slept with someone or drank too much or just had a bad day, but please keep it on that side of the door." " If you have an attitude with one of the staff and they come to me and I come to you and we can't resolve it, I would hate for you to leave without furniture." You see, I've never drank,smoke,did drugs or had premarital sex. However this man mentions this twice in relation to the four families in the room. However, I keep my smile.

Linda, our help was a beautiful, sweet doll of a sister in Christ. She gladly walked with us as we picked out the furniture. Stickers were placed on the furniture we pick. We were 3rd in line so all the beds were gone.. which is funny because fourteen families were supposed to be there, but only us four families showed up. There was not enough furniture for fourteen families. Not by a mile. We picked out a green chair and half sectional which was mismatched and a bit stained. It had a bed inside, but we found it to be broken when we got home. While looking around, the tall man with a beard approached me. He asked. " How many are in your family?" I answered "2". Then he says " I can't let you take 4 dressers and there are only two of you. I didn't have 4 , I had 2 dressers & a wardrobe. However," I immediately respond with a smile and said ," Well, I'll just have the two dressers. He says ok and that's it. but he treated me as though I was greedy. Linda did her best to help us pick things out and was totally sweet during the process. However, by this time, my morale was low. I felt the full weight of asking for help. I felt the full weight of being a beggar for objects people were going to throw away. I did my best to keep my spirits up so an attitude wouldn't be detected. It was time to go and the volunteers offered some food bags which at first I decline, then accepted because of their kind persistence. I'm glad about that, because I was able to share it with my neighbor. We smiled,thanked the volunteers and hugged Linda. When we arrived home, I just couldn't believe something so great , could turn so wrong. However I am grateful for the Sofa, chair, two dressers and tables. I'm grateful for the sweet staff.I just wish it was a...

Do I was very appreciative free furniture that I received at the blessing board. I was told that I could choose whatever I wanted. But in no time at all I began to feel belittled and rushed to make decisions. I picked the chair and later found another chair that was not in the section where the other chairs were and wanted that one but I was told that I could not exchange it even though the first year I picked was on the truck maybe twenty feet away. At this point I felt that I really couldn't choose what I wanted just because I didn't have any furniture doesn't mean that it didn't matter to me what I have in my house when I have a choice? God forbid if a person decides to change their mind about a decision and God...

I have been here many times - amazing place to shop for gently used furniture and decorations. The volunteers working there are enthusiastic, helpful, and have quite an eye for putting some items together! One lady I met even made the pillows that they have for sale there - truly great people. The selection of items is awesome as well; the furniture is in great shape and all high quality and while it isn’t dirt cheap, when you actually consider what you’re getting, it’s quite a steal. All you’re paying for is to help them pay rent and keep their mission of donating most of their inventory to those who need it most. I...