Bargain center needs more donations for its customers

Tonight, most children will be eagerly awaiting Santa to fill their stockings with goodies. But others are just hoping for warm socks.

Five to 10 people come into the Heart of Augusta Bargain Center each day, looking for the basics: socks, underwear and T-shirts, said Debbie Glabas, manager of the thrift store.

"It's a staple of your dressing," she said. "Especially this time of year."

But between socks in the bin, spots are bare. The store needs more socks and T-shirts.

The bargain center opened in October 2007, and many of its customers are families providing foster care, or are disabled or low-income . She also sees grandparents raising their grandchildren .

The center also needs furniture and household items and baby items such as strollers and high chairs, and mattresses.

"Anything you would need to set up house, that's what we accept," Ms. Glabas said.

They accept gently used and new clothing, socks and T-shirts. Underwear must be new.

Any income over what's needed to cover overhead costs and pay for a full-time employee and a part-time worker are donated to Heritage Academy and Downtown Cooperative Church Ministries .

The bargain center was started by the Tuesday Morning Men's Prayer Group, a ministry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Church of the Good Shepherd. Its members now serve on the center's board of directors.

Faith and service are intertwined in the prayer posted at the store: " Show us that like these articles of clothes and household goods we all have more than one life, and that our best lives are always ahead of us in the service of others. "

Reach Sarah Day Owen at (706) 823-3223 or sarah.owen@augustachronicle.com.