The Gleaning Place sells donated, gently used home products at reasonable prices. It has raised more than $250,000 for New Path since 2011.
Alder was saluted for her caring gestures and giving spirit during the Outstanding Senior Volunteer Awards for the Miami Valley presented by Medical Mutual earlier this fall.
“Evelyn Alder approaches volunteering as an opportunity to bless others for all that God has given her,” the awards program narrative said. “Taking time to listen and pray with Gleaning Place customers is second nature for Evelyn. She treats everyone like family and makes sure they leave with what they need, giving discounts or providing merchandise for free when customers are low on resources.”
Alder, who is in her early 80s, lives in West Milton and is “retired.” She was a biology teacher and assistant principal at Tippecanoe High School and taught in other districts including Northmont schools where she was a science teacher and assistant principal. Her career spanned 40 years.
She admits to working around 60 hours a week managing The Gleaning Place, which she said draws people from Miami County along with several other area counties including Montgomery.
Alder said she believes “love is a verb,” supporting her desire to help others.
She said she enjoys taking the time to talk with those who visit the store and help in any way possible.
“We all need to step up to the plate. It doesn’t always take money to make people feel good,” Alder said.
She grew up a pauper in Tennessee. “I know what it’s like to not have anything,” Alder said. “I have always felt like God has been good to me and I believe in giving back.”
Those early days played a huge role in who she became.
The family lived in a shack on a mountainside, and Alder worked in the fields and did other tasks to help them survive. She was bullied for being the poorest of the poor but didn’t let it destroy her spirit.
She became a Christian at 12 and at age 13 “told myself I am going to leave a mark,” Alder said. “It was horrible but in a sense, it was good. I learned to love.”
She studied biology and chemistry at Lincoln Memorial University. She came to Ohio with marriage in 1960 and has two sons.
She greeted each person as they entered the store, telling visitors during a recent afternoon about the 30 percent off sale in the back room. That room was filled with home decorations, knick knacks and colorful Christmas decorations.
The store’s offerings help with material needs, but Alder believes people return for much more.
“It doesn’t take things, you can change a person’s life just by talking with them,” she said. “There’s a lot of hugging that goes on in here.”
About the Author