A Washington-based ministry recently opened the doors of a new thrift store location to help support its homeless shelter and food pantry.

The Master’s Hand Thrift Store is now located at 980 West 5th Street, with a much larger space to accept and sell donations of clothing, household and other items. Owned by Tribulation & Trust Ministry, Inc., the store was previously located for about two years at 115 South 2nd Avenue, while they sold their excess furniture and items at the Washington County Fairgrounds and at another temporary location on North 12th Street from 2020-2021. Pastor Darren Brown says they have long wanted a larger space to accommodate their needs, and thanks to the community and an anonymous $100,000 donation they were able to raise about $300,000 for the warehouse, “So many individuals walk in here and bring me a check and just would say, ‘We love what you’re doing for the community and we want to support it,’ and it’s been really, really good. The outpouring of this community in this event is heart touching, it just melts your heart. I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s been just beautiful.”

Proceeds from The Master’s Hand support The Lighthouse Center, an outreach center which provides emergency housing, clothing, job training and more for those from Washington County and beyond. It also houses a community food pantry, which Brown hopes to relocate to the thrift store this spring to provide a more secure and handicap accessible service to the public. The Master’s Hand is open from 9 a.m-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.