At $70-$100 profit on a good day Kathy Valenzuela is not in it for the money.</p><p>The owner of Kathy's Flea Market prefers to focus on people.</p><p>"I like the people, getting to talk to everybody," Valenzuela, 55, said. "I have nothing else to do. Why not be here and talk to people, enjoy them and find out what's happening in the community." </p><p>Valenzuela, who is in a wheelchair, sits behind a desk in her shop on I Street, talking to her dog and waiting for customers/visitors to drop in. Despite owning a thrift store where everything is donated and secondhand, the state of the economy is causing Valenzuela to have fewer visitors than normal. </p><p>"It's very slow," she said. "The last six months it's drastically changed. I write down everything I make and there's days when its no sale, no sale, no sale."</p><p>The donations are continuing to pour in though.</p><p>Valenzuela's daughter, Sandra Ortiz, helps her run the business. One of the things the pair must do regularly is sort through the piles clothing donations. </p><p>Ortiz believes more people should buy items from her mother's shop, if for no other reason just to help the planet.</p><p>"Everybody's always talking about recycle,recycle, recycle, this is recycling mostly everything and anything you can buy," Ortiz said. </p><p>The store reflects her statement. A shelf full of knickknacks greet you at the door. Racks of clothes can be found throughout the building as well as furniture, dishes and electronic equipment people have decided are items of the past (VCRs and their accompanying VHS tapes especially).</p><p>Valenzuela said she receives a lot of items from people who've had a death in the family.</p><p>"Their mother just died and they need to get rid of her stuff," she said. </p><p>There is one thing Valenzeula demands.</p><p>"You can't leave your junk here. If something is torn, dirty, I throw it out," she said.</p><p>Through the years, Valenzuela said, she has come across some nice items. She's furnished most of her home with items that have come from the shop.</p><p>Of course when people donate items they should make sure they aren't giving valuables away. Valenzuela has come across money, jewelry and pictures left behind by people in a rush to get rid of things.</p><p>Valenzuela has been known to give clothes away to people in need in exchange for work or just out of compassion. </p><p>"Sometimes they come in, 'Oh Kathy I'm homeless. I don't have anything.' But when they do get some money they'll come in and say 'Here's a buck. I owe it to you.'" </p><p>No matter how bad the economic slowdown becomes Valenzuela has no plans to close.</p><p>"I'm doing it right now because I like it and I have a lot of faithful customers," she said. "I love the job, I love the business, I love the contact with people."</p><p><i>Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached by phone at 388-6563, or by e-mail at cpride@losbanosenterprise.com</i>