The $4 treasure that can help feed a neighbor

There’s something strange about thrift stores.

You can walk into one looking for a coffee mug...

And 37 minutes later you’re standing there holding a cast-iron skillet, a Hawaiian shirt, three books, and a lamp shaped like a duck.

And somehow thinking:

“I NEED this stuff.”

That’s the magic of thrift shopping.

You never know what’s waiting around the next corner.

Maybe it’s the perfect chair for the porch.

A nearly-new jacket for a few bucks.

An old book you haven’t seen since you were a kid.

Or something so wonderfully weird you have absolutely no idea what you’ll do with it...

But you’re buying it anyway.

Researchers have actually studied why people love thrift stores.

Saving money is a big reason.

So are finding quality items, hunting for treasures, discovering things you can’t find anywhere else, and giving perfectly good stuff a second life.

But when you shop at the Silver City Gospel Mission Thrift Store, there’s another reason.

Your bargain can become somebody else’s blessing.

100% of the proceeds from our thrift store stay right here in our community and support the work of the Silver City Gospel Mission.

That means the shirt you buy...

The dresser you discover...

The stack of books you bring home...

Or that mysterious kitchen gadget you're convinced you'll figure out eventually...

Helps us provide food and support to neighbors who are struggling.

Our soup kitchen alone serves nearly 2,000 free meals every month.

And that doesn't include the people we reach through our mobile food pantry and other Mission services.

So your thrift-store purchase does more than save you money.

It helps us:

* Put hot meals in front of hungry neighbors.

* Bring groceries to families and seniors who need a little help.

* Keep useful clothing, furniture and household goods out of the waste stream.

* Give donated belongings a second life—and give people going through hard times a hand up.

* Bring the love of Christ into someone's life in a practical, tangible way.

That's a pretty impressive day's work for buying a secondhand lamp.

So here's my challenge:

Before you buy something new, come treasure hunting with us first.

You might save some money.

You might find something nobody else in town has.

And you might walk out with a treasure knowing your purchase helped put food on another person's table.

Come see what you can find at the Silver City Gospel Mission Thrift Store, 111 S. Texas Street in downtown Silver City.

We're open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM–1:45 PM.

Come hunt for a bargain.

Leave knowing you did some good.

-Randy Salars.