Non-profit stores work to create change in Milledgeville

Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army are both non-profit, Christian organizations that have spent a greater part of the past two decades helping families and individuals in the Milledgeville and Baldwin County area. Deeply rooted in their Christian faith, these two organizations are set on improving the lives of individuals within their community.

“We’re just giving people an opportunity to change their lives.” said Lisa Bell, Assistant Director for Social Services for the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is located at 420 South Wilkinson Street and carries items such as clothing, furniture, toys, books, dishes, and blankets. And ladies, they even have evening gowns! All donations come from within the Milledgeville and Baldwin County community, with some donations from the Oconee area as well. Habitat for Humanity is located at 730 North Wayne Street, and the most commonly donated items to this organization are those such as gently used toys, furniture, doors, windows, lamps, and other household items. The store carries practically everything, except clothing.

Both Habitat and The Salvation Army work as a kind of recycling center for the community in a really unique way. When paper or plastic is recycled, it is dispersed other places beyond the community in which it was recycled; however, when items are donated to Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army, they stay within the community to improve the lives of others in that same area. By donating to these organizations, neighbors are giving to their neighbors. In a sense, Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army are bringing people together.

Monetary donations are welcomed as well, and are used in a multitude of ways. The Salvation Army uses this money to send children of the Baldwin County area ages eight through 14 to summer camp every year. During the Christmas holidays, this organization uses the money they raised throughout the year to buy groceries for needy families, including chicken, cornbread, several canned items, and a dessert.

Habitat for Humanity uses their monetary donations to build houses for families suffering from poor housing conditions, or poverty.

“We have a core group that usually shows up to build and they, in turn, bring friends. When we are about to build a house we do a press release in the newspaper Union Recorder, Baldwin Bulletin, Chamber of Commerce Link and that brings in a lot of calls and people asking: ‘Where are you building? When are you building?’ and ‘How can we help?’” Jack Hickey, the Executive Director of the Milledgeville Habitat for Humanity, said.