The Family Thrift Store operated by the Salvation Army Austin Corps has a problem even it doesn’t understand.

“Usually we have donated clothing and home furnishings piled up to the ceiling, but now we don’t,” said Lori Blanton, Family Thrift Store manager. “The stuff that comes in is usually out on the floor the next day.”

“I’m not really sure what the problem is,” Blanton said.

“Everyone talks about the effects of the bad economy, and we are shopped fairly often because of that,” she went on to say.

“It used to be we had such an abundance of donations that we felt like the walls were going to burst open, but now this is what it looks like pretty much every day,” she said, pointing to empty space in the usually-filled sorting room. “Whatever comes in during the day, they work it out the next.”

“Work it out” means sort and price items for sale on the Family Thrift Store floor.

Last Friday afternoon, a lone worker was pricing dresses to hang on racks. Two volunteers carried a mattress and inner spring into the room.

What was unusual about the scene was there was plenty of room to walk in the area usually crowded with wall-to-wall donations.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen shoppers were prowling the racks of clothing items, while a half dozen others surveyed the home furnishings area in the store’s main shopping areas.

The cash registered was a busy machine tallying sales.

People came and went from the popular west entrance, leading to the parking lot.

Business was good, but if the key to a successful retail business is having an inventory to match customers’ demands, the Family Thrift Store was falling short of that goal.

“This is the way it has been for the last two or three weeks,” Blanton said of the apparent shortage of donations. “We don’t have much of a surplus.”

“If that continues, that could affect our sales, which will affect our programs, so I’m concerned,” Blanton said.

Not only is Blanton the Family Thrift Store managers, but she is also the Austin Corps case worker. People in need come to Blanton to apply for assistance every work day.

The Austin Corps depends upon Family Thrift Store retails sales as a steady source of income to help fund programs and services for the needy.

Blanton is adding aggressive leadership to the store’s operations.

The Salvation Army has hired Maurice Moore to work 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday to pickup large household items that donors cannot themselves deliver to the Family Thrift Store.

Donors can call 437-4566 to have Moore come to their homes to collect donated items.

No appliances are accepted, but furniture — especially beds — is needed.

Household items, such as dishes and silverware are also especially popular.

And clothing is always needed.

The only requirement is that the items — clothing, for instance — must be clean and ready to be displayed.

Naturally, furniture must be usable; no three-legged chairs or tables allowed.

Blanton expects the pace to pickup when spring house–cleaning begins in earnest, but the growing need demanded she seek the public’s help immediately.

Ready to go

Moore said he enjoys his job with Salvation Army.

He also works for the Hormel Foods Corporation’s Austin flagship plant.

He and his wife, Cheryl, have nine daughters.

“I started working part-time for the Salvation Army since last November, but I have been associated with the Salvation Army for five years. We go to church here, too,” he said.

Traveling only in the Austin city limits, Moore can call upon Salvation Army volunteers when he needs help in handling extra-heavy items.

“I feel what I do helps the Salvation Army a lot,” he said. “Helping other people is a good feeling.”

When he’s not on the pickup route, Moore finds things to do at the Family Thrift Store.

“He does a great job and we appreciate his efforts,” Blanton said. “The only thing is we would like to see more donations now and keep Maurice busy.”

Items may be left at the Family Thrift Store 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Because of the current shortage of items, the Family Thrift Store can offer next-day pickups of the larger household items.