St. Martin's Budget Helper Shop has happily existed in its current location off Dresden Drive in Brookhaven for several decades, and it has served both the community and St. Martin's well.

St. Martin's Budget Helper Shop has happily existed in its current location off Dresden Drive in Brookhaven for several decades, and it has served both the community and St. Martin's well.
But if you've driven through that part of town lately you've probably noticed that it has become quite a fashionable neighborhood even on Caldwell Road, home of our humble shop. As such, there is some question as to whether that area is the best location for a thrift store.
Further, some folks are willing to pay a sizable sum to acquire our property, as it is contiguous to an elaborate development currently under construction. The consensus of the powers-that-be is that the time is right to sell; and if all works out as we think it will, the property may be sold very soon - thanks to the diligent efforts of parishioner/realtor Charles Mixon and the Endowment Fund (which actually owns the property).
Please know that the sale of the property will NOT mark the end of this valuable mission: An effort is already underway to find a more suitable (and larger) location - a win-win for St. Martin's and the community it serves.
Meanwhile, volunteers are needed. Where are they?
In a parish the size of St. Martin's, you know that we have retirees, both men and women, but, where are they?
The Budget Helper Shop is in emergency need of volunteers for just three (3) hours a month. That's the time spent watching a ball game or golf on TV. We have had to close the shop more and more for lack of coverage.
The shop annually clears $35,000 to $40,000, and this amount would be sorely missed by the church if we should cease operating.
The job calls for two people to sit behind a desk and wait for customers to bring the merchandise to you. One will fold the garments and call out the prices to the other who collects the money and makes the change. You really do not have to be a department store or bank manager to be able to do this. It's fairly simple.
The pluses are you get to know some interesting people and you get to know your fellow parishioners on a one to one basis. This is a way to give back to the community.
Please, please give this some serious thought and call either
Bev Swanson 770.457.8616
or
John Akins 404.256.5330
or
Millie Fadden 770.457.6127
Bev does the scheduling and she will work around your schedule. Try it at least once and if you don't care for it, we won't hold you to it. I think you will be surprised to find it most interesting.