A new share shop in Washington seeks to put clothing and household items in the hands of local people who need them the most. The new shop, located behind Beaufort Builders, is the result of years of donations to Purpose of God Church.

“It started out with people bringing clothes to the (Purpose of God) Annex to help people in Project New Hope have clothes for interviewing and clothes they might need to continue on in society,” Purpose of God minister Bishop Samuel Jones Jr. said. “So much stuff kept coming in, it ended up being an overwhelming amount.”

It was through the generosity of local business owner Fred Cherry that the church found a solution. Cherry offered space in the rear of his business, Beaufort Builders, for the church to establish the shop.

“We would try to do anything to help them, I just felt like they needed the space,” Cherry said. “They’re doing a good job of what they’re doing, and we appreciate it.”

The share shop will serve both participants in Project New Hope, the church’s workforce development and reintegration program, and community members who might have a need for some help.

“We don’t want to sell the stuff, because people donated it for free, so we just want to give it away,” Jones said. “It’s going to be based on people that come through the center, meet with us, who have real situations. Then we will allow them to come and pick up a certain amount of items.”

The store will be open once per week, typically on Saturday. The clothes and items in the shop are all quality items, pieces that will offer a sense of dignity to those in need. Jones said he hopes to work alongside the Beaufort County Department of Social Services and programs like Bright Futures.

“We also want all the area providers to know we want to provide another platform for providing services,” Jones said.

Anyone in need, or who would like to refer a need for the share shop, can contact the Purpose of God Annex at 252-974-1484.