Matthew 25 gives directly to community
by Eric A Thomas
Recently, a Jacksonville retail ministry celebrated its 10th anniversary. Originally located in South Jacksonville, Matthew 25 Thrift Store opened its doors to the public in February 2013.
In 2015, they relocated to the same building as their connected church, Go Church, located at 767 S. West St. in Jacksonville.
Ten years ago, Mandy Hutton realized that the community could use a business that sold gently used merchandise at reasonable prices. This was not only to help those in need but also to give back to the community. “My husband John came up with the name based on the verse in Matthew 25:35-40,” reflects Hutton.
Hutton continues, “Jesus taught in this scripture that if we feed the hungry, give a drink to those who are thirsty, take in a stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick, visit those in prison … it’s the same as doing those things directly for Jesus.”
Matthew 25 Thrift Store was born and has blessed many over the years.
In addition to serving the public’s needs, they also wanted to help other charities that were already established in the area by providing monetary donations. What sets Matthew 25 apart from other thrift stores is that they give 100% of their proceeds back into the community. “Our store’s mission is not to put money in our pockets. We are here to help our community,” states Hutton. They also give clothing and shoe vouchers to The Salvation Army, Crisis Center Foundation, New Directions, Illinois School for the Deaf and Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation. During a typical month, the thrift store will honor at least 20 vouchers for free shoes and clothing items for those who qualify.
Their inventory is quite extensive. It includes clothing, shoes, furniture, décor, housewares, toys, books and much more. Donations of items are accepted during business hours. The hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The donation door is the second door on the south side of the building. People are asked to ring the bell, and someone will assist you with your donations.
“We don’t have a daily special. But we offer 20% off every Wednesday for seniors aged 62 and up,” adds Hutton. “At least once a month, we do our signature cart sales where adults can fill an entire shopping cart of clothing for $7 and kids’ shopping baskets are $5.”
Matthew 25 Thrift Store officially celebrated their 10th anniversary on February 22. All customers received cookies with purchases, and everyone signed up for prizes.
“We drew names the next day and the winners received cookies from Gigi’s Sweet Treats, gift bags from Glitzee Dragon, Green Haven, The Peachy Nest and The Vault Ax Throwing,” says Hutton.
Hutton concludes, “I want to thank the community for its support over the 10 years and everyone who came out to support this special anniversary.”
Their website is Matthew25thriftshop.com and you can learn about what items can be accepted at the store.
