Providence Ministries Thrift Store in Fort Oglethorpe assists in funding housing for the homeless and recovery for the addicted.
"We pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on us," said Providence Ministries Inc. founder and President Roy Johnson, of Dalton. "Our thrift stores [in Fort Oglethorpe, Dalton and Calhoun] are meaningful in supporting our outreaches. What people will find when they shop in our thrift stores is a great mix of household items and clothing. We try to make new items available at affordable pricing."
Some of the items found in the store include clothing, beds, new mattresses, tables, couches, chairs, dressers and love seats.
Donating unneeded items to the store is another way to support Providence Ministries, Johnson noted. Donated items qualify for a tax deduction and staff members are willing to pick up items for people unable to drop off the donations.
"Providence operates homeless shelters for men, women and children and feeds 500 meals daily of breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main headquarters in Dalton," said Johnson. "We also operate a homeless shelter in Calhoun and residential alcohol and drug recovery programs for women. We have a 100-acre farm in Pikeville, Tenn., for our men's alcohol and drug recovery program. We have people that come to us from all over the United States that need help in addiction recovery."
Providence, which assists people in Walker, Catoosa and Whitfield counties as well as from coast to coast, has four certified alcohol and drug addiction counselors..
"It's on the front lines," Johnson said of the type of work and help Providence provides. "A lot of these people are running through God's last stop sign. Issues of homelessness and hunger need to be addressed. If people have friends or relatives struggling with addictions, give us a call. We also have transitional living for people that still need to go to work but need more accountability."
About 50 people at present reside in Providence homeless shelters and around 90 people are in residential recovery, he said.
"Jesus went and saw and he had compassion for people," said Johnson. "We tell people to come and see what we are doing and to get involved. The main mission ingredient is spiritual. We have church services, a men's and women's choir. We visit local churches and share our testimonies."
He personally shares his own testimony about how his life changed in the late '70s before he started Providence in 1980.
"The Lord changed my life in 1978 and gave me a heart to help others," said Johnson. "He brought along a lot of good folks to help me with that desire. Two things became apparent to me ... there is a God and it wasn't me. There was an emptiness in my life. I had success, but something was missing and that missing part was the Lord. He changed my life and he changed my way."
The people that come to Providence for help are not bad people, Johnson stressed, but they have made bad decisions.
"Every day is a new opportunity for a new beginning," he said. "The main ingredient in recovery is desire."
A helping hand
Providence Ministries Inc. Thrift Store, at 503 Battlefield Parkway, is located at the corner of Battlefield Parkway and Highway 27 across from the K-Mart and Blockbuster. To learn more, call the store at 706-858-7974. The store is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more about Providence Ministries Inc., visit www.providenceministriesinc.com or www.providencewomensrecovery.com. To view videos of the work Providence completes go to YouTube and type in "Providence Ministries Christmas 2012."