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The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Savannah
Vol. 100 No. 15 Thursday, July 23, 2020 Put Faith in Your Opinions southerncross-sav.org
A customer takes a look around the books section of the store. There are sub-sections for everything from children’s books to cooking to history.
Catholic Social Services Thrift Store expands mission to
help provide affordable shopping options in Augusta
BY DONNELL SUGGS
dsuggs@diosav.org
AUGUSTA, GA.- The Catholic
Social Services (CSS) thrift store
began serving customers in 1990,
selling donated goods and cloth
ing to people of all walks of life.
Proceeds from the sales have
helped support Catholic Social
Services of Augusta, which has
its headquarters downtown. The
tradition that began as a month
ly yard sale continues three
decades later as the new store,
moved from a smaller space
nearby, opened Monday, July 6.
Located at 3229 Wrightsboro
Road, the new 17,000-plus
square foot location has already
been a popular shopping destina
tion for Catholics and non-Cath-
olics alike. Rows and rows of
clothing hung from moveable
racks stationed throughout the
sales floor. Signs notified cus
tomers of $2.75 shirts and $1.50
ties. Books, DVDs, furniture,
electronics and toys, which each
have separate sections, are avail
able for perusal. Everything from
a used treadmill (retailing at
$75.00) to oil paintings and bicy
cles can be purchased. The store
has something for everyone, and
that’s exactly how Philomena
Mooney, the store’s manager,
likes it. Mooney describes the
thrift store system as “the best
form of recycling.”
People donate items to CSS
and then the CSS employees, 15
in total (seven full-time from the
previous store and eight new
part-time hires), and volunteers
fix what needs fixing before the
donations hit the floor. Minutes
before the store opened Monday,
July 13, Mooney had been gluing
a chair together. “We have lots
of volunteers, but could always
use some more,” said Mooney,
who attends St. Mary on the
Hill Church, Augusta. Volunteer
applications will be available
online later this month.
On a Monday morning earlier
this month the store was busy
with a dozen shoppers mingling
about. The boutique, a small
section of the store that houses
more rare and not-so-every-
day donations was also busy
with customers. Managed by
Donna Weeks Borroughs, the
boutique consultant, this sec
tion is where the store’s more
exclusive books, statues, wood
work, art, clothing and jewelry
can be found. An autographed
copy of Ralph McGill’s classic
non-fiction book “The South and
the Southerner’ was available for
purchase, as was a 19th century
German-made brass crucifix.
A porcelain statuette of Saint
Francis, wedding dresses and
official Masters golf tournament
polos were also on display. A
sign that said, “No carts in the
boutique” made it known that
this portion of the store was
extra special. “Those are vintage
things or collectibles, brand new
clothes. Things that are not gen
erally viewed as a necessity.”
The old store didn’t have a
boutique. The new one does and
Burroughs, who also doubles
as the section designer, enjoys
providing the service to custom
ers. “Our new digs are incred
ible,” she said before helping a
customer at the jewelry counter.
“We are out to give customers a
wonderful shopping experience.
Our mission is to give back to
our customers like people have
given to us.”
Located next door to an
apartment complex, car wash
and Chinese buffet, if nothing
else, the CSS thrift store gives
See THRIFT STORE page 8