By Alan Suderman
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Teiko Murphy says her petite arms make it difficult to get all the clothes out of the washing machine.

“It’s hard to reach all the way to the back,” she says.

But while she may be small, Murphy is tremendously resourceful. Whipping up her own practical solution, she has just bought a large wooden spoon with grooves at the end, which she says will help scoop out the hard-to-reach laundry that’s long eluded her.

“I’m so glad I found this,” Murphy says, clutching the spoon. “I really needed it.”

Teiko Murphy’s spoon cost a buck-and-half at Highland Springs’ Treasure Chest—a resident-run resale store tucked away in the corner of campus. Residents and staff make a monthly pilgrimage to the store (it’s open on the last Monday of each month) to check out the deals on everything from cooking ware to computer equipment.

“When the store opens, this place is just filled, wallto-wall,” says Ted Seloff, a Highland Springs resident who helps run the store.

Marie Higa, chairwoman of the resident volunteers who run the store, helped get the Treasure Chest up and running about a year ago. She says residents are eager to donate items to sell there.

“People are more than happy to get stuff out of their hair,” Higa says. She adds that running the store is a lot of fun and a great way to socialize. “It’s like a continuous garage sale, and every month is different. And you get to meet and chat with all of the residents.”

The proceeds from the Treasure Chest go to educational scholarships for staff and to the community’s Benevolent Care Fund, which ensures that residents never have to leave Highland Springs for financial reasons.