For those with limited funds to spend on furnishing a home, the Salvation Army store has always been known as a place to find inexpensive, gently-used items. That is, until donations of those items dry up.

The Salvation Army, Washington Corps, is putting out the word: furniture needed. Its donations of household items, clothing, and money took a 75-percent dive in 2013 and now Lt. Bruce and Goldie Rabon are looking to fill the coffers and the store.

“We are at an all-time low for furniture and clothing and donations,” Burce Rabon siad.

“We are literally out of furniture,” added Goldie Rabon. “I’ve never seen a Salvation Army like that. We have an empty store. Clothing is our No. 1 revenue and we are extremely low.”

It could be chalked up to the weather, but the donations have dwindled down to a trickle, according to the Rabons.

“Normally this time of year, people are getting rid of the old, coming in with the new for Christmas and tax writeoffs,” Goldie Rabon explained.

She said their donations largely come from private individuals with some church donations, and are used to fund other Salvation Army outreach: social services, helping some individuals pay utility bills, feeding the homeless, disaster services and funding children’s character-building programs through churches. In essence, if donations to the Salvation Army are down, the end result is the Salvation Army is unable to fund others, Goldie Rabon said.

“It has to balance. We just did the budget for 2015 and had to reduce it considerably because of that,” Goldie Rabon said.

The Salvation Army accepts donations every day it’s open, Mondays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to the Rabons, while they usually only send the Salvation Army truck out to pick up large donations, they’re willing to work with contributors.

The Rabons are encouraging residents to get to spring cleaning a little early this year and send donations their way.

The Salvation Army, Washington Corps, is located at 112 E. Seventh St., Washington, and services Beaufort, Bertie, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties. For more information, call 252-946-2523.