Local thrifting options expand

MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant’s thrifting scene is about to expand with the addition of Goodwill coming to town and The Quarter Store installing an after-hours donation box.

According to a press release from Goodwill, the new store located at 700 North Grand Ave., will open it’s doors July 28.

In the meantime, the organization will host hiring events Tuesday, June 20 from 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, June 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in hopes of hiring 15-17 full- and part-time employees.

Positions will include store management, retail, and production team members.

“In addition to providing a traditional Goodwill shopping experience, the new location will include donation drive-up services and a community room,” the press release states.

This new location also will partner with area human services agencies to offer vouchers for people in need. These vouchers will allow individuals to shop the store for clothing items at no cost to them.

Mt. Pleasant, however, already has a well-established nonprofit thrift store ran by the Fellowship Cup, The Quarter Maybe More Store.

Like Goodwill, The Quarter Store, located at 112 North Jefferson St., offers similar housewares and clothing items thanks to donations.

“We love what Goodwill does,” Fellowship Cup Director Ken Brown said. “We don't see this as hurting our operations. Goodwill is in other major towns like Burlington and Washington, and they have other organizations that do the same work that we do, and they all work together.”

According to Brown, The Fellowship Cup sees Goodwill coming to town as a good thing.

“Most folks who do thrift shopping don’t just go to one thrift store,” he said. “They frequent many. So, we see it as a good thing that will bring more folks in because there is a Goodwill here again.”

Brown also expressed gratitude for the additional jobs Goodwill will bring to the community.

With the addition, however, Brown does want to remind the community what their money spent at The Quarter Store goes toward.

“People may not know that if they buy from the Quarter Store, they are directly supporting those in need in Henry County,” Brown said. “Goodwill does good work nationwide. The work that we do is basically here to serve residents of Henry County.”

According to the Fellowship Cup website, “The income from the Quarter Maybe More Store helps sustain the ministry of The Fellowship Cup. The Fellowship Cup’s main purpose is the food pantry.”

The Fellowship Cup has served a record number of individuals in the last several years thanks to donations and the income from the Quarter Store.

With the added thrift store to the area, however, The Fellowship Cup has sought out additional ways to stay competitive, including the addition of a donation drop box at the back of the store.

“We will have an after-hours donation bin for clothes,” Brown said. “We don't want any breakables in there. So generally, it'd be for clothes.”

For items that won’t fit or are not appropriate to drop in the bin, Brown asks that people wait to drop those off during normal donation times.

Currently, drop-off hours listed on the Fellowship Cup website are Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 9-11 a.m.

In addition, the Quarter Store offers pickup options for donations.

With that in mind, The Fellowship Cup recently purchased a new truck for donation pickup and drop-offs along with transportation needs for the food pantry.

According to Brown, the 20-year-old truck they had previously was in bad shape.

“That truck is our bread and butter for what we do as far as taking deliveries from the corner store and donations, then also for the food pantry,” he said.

“This was definitely an asset acquirement that we needed,” Brown said. “At the same time, we want to replenish those funds. So, we’re asking our faithful donors to help us out with that and help get that money paid back.”

While the Fellowship Cup was able to purchase the truck outright, they want to continue to be good stewards of their programming and replenish the funds as soon as possible.

“We use that money for other sources for the food pantry, too,” he said “So, donors will see a campaign to raise these funds coming out soon.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com