THOMASVILLE — After nearly 30 years of serving Thomasville, the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store will close on Dec. 31. It is no longer taking donations.

Located at 514 N. Madison St. between West Clay and West Calhoun streets, the store has been selling clothing, furniture and other items at low prices since 1985.

“It’s a sad, but necessary thing,” said Major Thomas Taylor, Salvation Army business manager in Thomasville. “My head knows it’s the right decision, but my heart hurts for the people.”

Taylor said that the store has lost between $17,000 and $20,000 a year for a few years.

“Even though we’re a not-for-profit, the store is intended to turn a profit,” he explained. “Those profits are used to fund the community center and other projects of the Salvation Army in this area. It just hasn’t been productive or viable.”

He said that there are two full-time and four part-time employees that will lose their jobs, but he’s trying to find them alternate jobs with the Salvation Army.

“We took several steps to try to avoid closing the store,” Taylor said. “I have only been here for a year, but we have tried a change in management, sales training … we’ve looked at pricing. We have a good location, lots of parking, easily accessible, just don’t know what it is.”

He said a major review was done of the store in November by the finance board in Atlanta. It was determined that the amount of increased sales needed wasn’t realistic for the store and the decision to close it was made on Monday. The staff was notified, arrangements have been made for merchandise to be moved to Valdosta and Albany, and a vendor has been selected to take the remaining items.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church established in 1865. It has operated in Thomasville since the 1950s. It provides food, clothing, shelter and other essentials to the elderly, ill, homeless and underprivileged, as well as disaster relief and assistance for the disabled.

Visit www.salvationarmy.org

“It’s a sad, but necessary thing.”