As the Feeding Friends Community Meal grew and as we became more aware of the needs that some of our community members had, Jeff and Juanita Starr were making clothing and household items available to folks at no cost during Feeding Friends through their New Beginnings ministry. Each Wednesday morning, they would set-up tables in the narthex of the church putting everything out. At 7:00PM, they would pack everything up and store it until the next week.
Realizing that there was a consistent community need and potential ministry to continue offering to the community, we thought about setting aside a permanent space for this ministry. It was a lot of work to do all the packing an unpacking! With a small Sunday School program at the moment needing only one room, we explored setting aside one room for the “Free Thrift Store. The church council approved this arrangement.
On Wednesday evenings from 4:00 – 7:00PM, the Free Thrift Store is available not only to the Feeding Friends community, but to anyone who may be in need. It contains clothes, shoes, household items, and even some toys that are available for anyone. While the “Free Thrift Store” does have regular hours on Wednesdays, it is also available for other ministry needs in our church and community. If there are church members who are in need of these items, they are welcome to check out what is there anytime they happen to stop by. If you know someone in the community who is need of some items, we would encourage to take what they might need with you.
The Free Thrift Store is meant to be a blessing for those who are in need. Please spread the word!