Betterways Thrift makes impact in community
When Shelley Jaquez was studying at Union College, she thought she knew her calling. After graduation, she would climb the corporate ladder to become an important CEO for a Fortune 500 company and donate a lot of money to God and His work. At age 53 however, she has found herself in a completely different and totally unexpected mission field three miles from Union – the place her journey began.
Betterways Thrift is a supporting industry created to fund a Christian nature school called Skyview Learning Academy. Both were founded and are owned by Michelle Ray, a friend of Jaquez’s. Skyview is located on the outskirts of Lincoln and fosters an environment of Christ-centered learning for over 100 PreK-12 students. The store was opened mainly to fund the growing school and is maintained by many volunteers. Shelley Jaquez began managing the store in 2018, shortly after her youngest child entered sixth grade. Although it seems unlikely that a solitary retail could create ripples of grace in a preoccupied, uncaring community, God is good and He has made Betterways Thrift a spiritual oasis in a world of chaos.
The store begins each morning with a prayer session with all the volunteers that are working that day. They currently have 26 rotating volunteers that weekly bless their doors with gracious smiles and hardworking spirits. Piano hymns play over the store speakers as each volunteer goes about their duties, assuring that the atmosphere and overall cleanliness of the store are an unspoken testimony to the glory of God. Jaquez said, “For whatever reason, shoppers come in to find cheap deals but always end up leaving with ‘spiritual treasure’ instead.” These treasures often include a piece of spiritual literature donated by local Adventists, deep conversations with employees, a much needed item they were unable to afford elsewhere, peace of mind and spirit aided by the soothing hymns and of course, prayer whenever needed.
One story that stands out revolves around a 25 year old homeless man that wandered into Betterways one day. He needed a place to be, so he sat in the book section for about an hour and a half. Jaquez, not realizing he was homeless, encouraged him to read a while and hopefully find a book to buy. When he approached the register, he held in his hand a leather Bible. Sadly, the man pulled out $1.47 and offered it as all he had. It was then she began to realize the state of his financial situation. Jaquez gave him the Bible for free, telling him that it would change his life. “Seeing the look in his eyes,” she said, “I knew that it already had.”
Betterways represents Christianity as a haven of peace in the mayhem of the retail world. While Jaquez may not have ended up wealthy or donating an abundance of money to charity, she can say that where she is currently makes her feel extremely blessed and spiritually rich. Jaquez said, “As they say, you can’t outgive God. His ways are not our ways, and while my way was to give Him my money, turns out He wanted my time. Even if I do not know my destiny, I do know my calling, and that is to give all that I am and all that I have to God — even in business.”
By Sophia Jaquez