By Marie Mulvenna

Miss Beth Chopin says she makes her greatest decisions when “I’m washing dishes.” Her most recent decision, via dishwashing, to join the staff of the St. Vincent de Paul organization, was a boon for the society’s operations and a delight to the energetic Miss Chopin.

As of April 2, Beth is managing the operations of the thrift shops of the society as well as the warehouse connected to the headquarters at 304 Parkway. She assumed her duties in time to mark the first anniversary of the society at their present headquarters. She presently manages the popular “Little Blue Shop” at the headquarters site, plus the thrift shop on Edgewood Avenue. Slated to open in early May is the third store for the society, which will be located on McLendon Avenue, N.E.

Beth, a native of New Orleans, studied business administration at Louisiana State University, worked for Shell Oil for five years and then headed for New York City where she joined the N.Y. staff of Shell. After five years in “Fun City,” Beth had the choice of moving to Houston or joining a small group headed for Atlanta. Fortunately for Atlanta, she opted to come here and served as an executive secretary with the company for three and one half years before she made the “great decision.”

She pauses amid her hectic schedule to say she loves it, long hours and all. Beth is rather serious about her new commitment which she says she reached after much inner debate and thought. Her inspiration, she relates, came from the autobiography of Dorothy Day in which Miss Day said: “The poor don’t need your money, the poor need you.”

Beth said she felt very deeply about the poor, but that she never felt she was really and truly helping.

“I now feel there’s something to my life. All the luxuries I enjoyed in the past really never made me happy. This does.” She adds contentedly what a pleasure it is to work with someone like Joe Flanagan, executive secretary of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

“When I came to Atlanta,” Beth relates. “I did get involved with the CCD program at Immaculate Heart of Mary, but I felt I could and should do more. It took a long time for me to realize that if I really was to do more I’d have to give up my job with Shell and actually do it.”

She struggled to come to the realization that she had to analyze her talents, leave her position with Shell and join Joe Flanagan at the society. “It’s very challenging, hard work, a six day week. You get absolutely filthy, lots to be done, but I still love it.”

Recapping her first few weeks on the job, Beth smiles about the mysterious backache that finally was attributed to hauling boxes and “things” around. “My dad was a florist, so as a child we were all used to sweeping up, loading a van, all the manual labor you could think of. I guess it’s been a few years though,” she adds.

Among her chores now are the routing of the society truck to pick up donations at the various locations throughout Atlanta. This chore alone has been more than a challenge, she explains, because the truck just “died,” and the society has merely a small pick-up which means constant runs back and forth to the warehouse.

“We desperately need some sort of truck,” she says wistfully. Once the donations are received at the warehouse, they must be sorted, put in barrels, etc., a task Beth describes as “monumental.”

She has glowing words of praise for the handful of volunteers who now assist the society but adds that the society’s greatest need now is for more volunteer help. “We really cannot function at all without them” she says and singles out Mrs. Eleanor O’Connor who has worked untiringly for several years doing a myriad of tasks for the society.

The warehouse located at the headquarters is a sprawling place, filled with every conceivable item, from clothing to meat grinders, furniture, jewelry, shoes, and toys. “We have to sort everything into sizes and groups,” Beth says, adding that many items that could not sell in the stores or are out of season are shipped down to Milledgeville where they are utilized for rug-making and other forms of therapy.

Beth said many area stores and firms are extremely generous about donating floor samples, over-stocked merchandise, items slightly damaged etc. and listed various appliances, beds, clothing, mattresses, even day-old bread that have been donated on a regular basis to the warehouse stock. Even boxes for items and storage barrels for merchandise are donated, she added. “Some merchants have been wonderful and I hope, sometime soon, to get the chance to seek out others who might be willing to help us.”

Business is brisk at the society’s stores with the Edgewood shop handling 11,000 customers a year. The newly planned store on McLendon Avenue will serve another area of town and Beth hopes will net the society some much-needed cash.

Everything, but everything, is utilized at the society’s office – donated envelopes, forms, etc. “We are born hoarders,” Beth says with a grin, noting the recent bulletins about their new shop are done on the back of old forms. Nothing is discarded that is even remotely usable. When you buy something at a store and the seller is Miss Chopin it won’t be at all surprising to hear her tell you: “I have to get the change from the refrigerator.” That “cold cash” is a tribute to the resourceful society which uses everything imaginable in every unimaginable way.

Beth said among the many current needs at the warehouse are the talents of an electrician who can determine if used refrigerators and other appliances are even usable. “We hate to sell them if they don’t even work,” she explained, adding that when a major appliance does indeed work they are always delighted.

Joe Flanagan pops his head into Beth’s small office to say hello and update her on some current matters and procedures. Joe has been integrally involved with the society for the past six years, during which time the society had two previous locations on Ivy Street before the present headquarters. He adds, however, that the present site is scheduled to be torn down “some day soon.” Where will they go from there? Joe’s reply is: “The Lord hasn’t told me.”

Obviously swamped with merchandise, problems of trucking, planned projects and three stores, Beth says she is unequivocally thrilled with the new job and adds: “It’s a waste if you’re not happy in your job – do something with what God gave you.” Miss Chopin from New Orleans is doing just that.