It may be crammed with a tantalizing mix of clothes, bric-a-brac and jewelry, but the true success of Serendipity stems from the people who helped the resale shop fulfill its destiny.
For more than 50 years, the store has generated valuable funds through which local nonprofit Little Friends can provide services to those with autism and other developmental disabilities.
But just as important are the relationships that have formed between the longtime volunteers, a dedicated group of Naperville women who didn’t let the store’s move from downtown Naperville to 461 Route 59 in 2020 put an end to their work.
Enter the store on a Thursday morning and you might find 95-year-old Mary Prekosovich behind the cash register.
“I retired when I was 73 and needed something to fill my time,” said Prekosovich, who has been volunteering for over 20 years. “I like the people who work here and the customers. For me it’s a matter of pride to work here, and it’s fun.”
When not in the store, the former nurse cares for her house and yard. She has seven children, 17 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
“I need to keep busy and I think you get a degree of satisfaction contributing something,” she said. “I think if you keep as busy and involved as possible every day, it keeps you young. … Some come to buy, others just to fill in their time browsing and see what’s here. We have many regular customers who want to see what’s new and exciting.”
Prekosovich says she wants to carry on volunteering as long as she can, which might still be a good few years.
“I had an aunt who lived to 104 and another who lived to 100,” she said. “Physically I’ve slowed down but I don’t let that stop me.”
Serendipity is managed by 84-year-old Arlene Klucina, who has supported Little Friends for 50 years, working for the organization as a teacher’s aide and executive secretary before she retired.
“When my youngest went to kindergarten in 1971, I was looking for something to do and found this agency working with children with cerebral palsy out of the First Congregational Church in Downers Grove,” she said.
“I started as volunteer, then became a teacher’s aide in 1972. I ended up working for them for 50 years. Little Friends was in various locations, including a basement at (North Central College) on Benton and Hobson School on Hobson Road. We were scattered all over before (it was consolidated) at 609 E. Franklin. Now we serve 900 across nine counties, including 55 school districts.”
After she retired, Klucina took over managing the downtown Naperville store.
“My purpose was to make it better,” she said. “When I started, they closed at three and were not open on Saturdays. Once we changed that, sales went up 20% in the first year. Our donor base has always been wonderfully generous. Our volunteers sort and price. It’s a huge job because we get thousands of donations all to benefit little Friends.”
Although Serendipity may be run by a mature team, they’re always trying something new. Silver donations are melted down to bring in more money. In addition to the store, nowadays they sell items on Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
This new approach was instigated by Jessica Jozwiak, a longtime Napervillian whose mother also volunteered at Serendipity.
“I’m helping to reach collectors further away,” she said. “I love the Little Friends connection; the people are amazing.”
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Erika McDonald has been volunteering for 15 years.
“Clothing, shoes and jewelry are the mainstay of the shop,” she said. “Everything must be good quality and clean. We get thousands of pieces a week and they all have to be looked over.”
In the rear of the store, Eve Hushek is busy putting on tags with a pricing gun.
“I am an avid thrifter and I always found something wonderful at Serendipity,” she said. “One day I was in there and a volunteer gave me a form and told me to sign up. Volunteers are the best recruiters. I get to be a cashier and have more fun than I should. I sort and price clothes and have more fun than I should there too. It’s about the people you meet and the relationships you make.”
When you have such a huge variety of items donated every day, some are bound to stand out.
“Recently we had a vintage sewing table brought in. Inside it was a clip from a garter,” Hushek said. “It spoke of a different time when people not only wore garters but went to the bother of repairing them.”
Jason Altenbern, Little Friends’ vice president of agency advancement, says 100% of the money generated by the store goes to supporting their mission. The new location, with lots of parking and easy drop-off for donations is working out well, he said.
“Our Serendipity story could be a sad one because our heritage is so interwoven into Naperville and it was difficult to leave the downtown area as a result of progress (and) the way in which the downtown area evolved around us,” he said.
“However, we have witnessed our sales grow significantly and that is because we are more accessible to more people on Route 59. One could say our ability to serve Aurora and Naperville has led to this growth and awareness.”
Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007.