In addition to the food pantry and other hunger ministries, Good Samaritan Ministries also operates a Resale Store and accepts donations of gently-used clothing and household items to stock that store. The Resale Store operates the same hours as the food pantry side: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We appreciate everything that our community donates,” said Heather Thomas, Interim Executive Director of GSM. “You are the reason we are always able to keep the store stocked and our prices low.”

However, Thomas said that they do ask that donations only be made during regular business hours.

“We ask this for a couple of reasons,” she said. “One, if you come when we’re open, we have staff and volunteers that can greet you and help you unload.”

The second thing, Thomas said, is that when items are left on the sidewalk when no one is around, the items tend to get picked through, stolen and scattered all along the sidewalk.

“This weekend there had been several drop-offs and a couple of our staff had to come up on a Sunday afternoon to bring what they could inside,” Thomas said. “However, at that point, most of the items had been pulled out of their bags, glass was broken and scattered and a lot of what would have been great donations were unsalvageable.”

Thomas said she understands that other circumstances often make the weekend the only time some people can get around to leaving their donations. In those extreme cases, she asks the community to help watch the building.

“This is a local, community mission whose goal is to help those who need it,” Thomas said. “You can help us by contacting the proper authorities when you see someone stealing donations left for the ministry.”

Thomas said Good Samaritan will be doing its part by requesting more patrols in the area on the weekends but if people begin calling the police to report the thefts as well, that will help the situation.

Good Samaritan Ministries is located at 305 Clark Street in downtown Brownwood. The clothing drop-off is located on the Anderson Street side of the building.