By Woody White
Members of Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church go to the ends of the earth to serve the poor and share the gospel, as Jesus commanded. But they also take care of Spartanburg County’s needy through partnerships with local organizations.
Maxine and Dickie Fleming have been doing the Lord’s work for years as leaders of His StoreHouse, which operates in the old choir room in the basement of The Mill’s original building.
There, they and team members – primarily from their Tom Sinclair Sunday School Class – pack bags with toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, toothpaste and tooth brushes, cleaning supplies and the like for neighbors who can’t afford life’s essentials.
While it’s love’s labor, said Maxine Fleming, the group needs some help.
She said her Sunday School class ranges in age from “63 to death,” and that it’s getting harder for some of the volunteers to do the work.
There are two essential chores – procuring the goods through United Way of the Piedmont and packing and distribution at the church. The Mill pays $500 a year and $15 each for two “shopping” trips a month at the United Way’s Gifts-in-Kind Center at Exel Logistics’ warehouse north of town. Volunteers stock floor-to-ceiling shelves in the old choir room with items, and every other Wednesday the Flemings and their helpers empty the shelves as they pack bags and hand them out at the church to between 125 and 150 clients.
Then they repeat the process – week after week, year after year.
Jason Williamson, Missions Pastor at The Mill, said, “I don’t know if there are a lot of churches that have the organization that Maxine and Dickie have. It’s also one of the things that I’m sure a lot of people here have no idea we do.”
Eight years ago, Walmart Inc. relocated one of its return centers from Macon, Ga., to Spartanburg, which Exel Logistics operates. The retail giant’s vendors decide what to do with items that may have damaged packaging or upside down labeling but are otherwise usable. The vendors either have those items returned or donate them to charity, with The United Way of the Piedmont overseeing the charitable goods’ distribution.
Maxine Fleming describes the bi-monthly trips to the Gifts-in-Kind Center as “bedlam,” resembling the old Supermarket Sweep television show. The United Way gives organizations 30 minutes to load carts and make as many trips to their vehicles before time runs out, after which United Way volunteers restock the shelves for another 30-minute shopping spree by another charity.
The Mill’s His StoreHouse is one of 180 non-profit groups from the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee who come to Spartanburg for goods. Scott Bryson, manager of the Gifts-in-Kind Center, said the local facility is the largest of six Walmart return centers in the nation. The United Way operates out of 10,000 square feet there, he said, and is on the verge of hitting $150 million in distributions to charity.
Dickie Fleming serves on the Gifts-in-Kind Center’s board and often advises charities on its policies and how best to utilize its services, Bryson said.
The Flemings also oversee the vetting of prospective clients of His StoreHouse – with proof of income and residence – and they tailor the bags for clients’ needs. Some need diapers, some don’t, while others just getting started need bedding and towels.
“The majority of the people we serve I feel like are my best friends,” Maxine Fleming said. “We form relationships with them. I have people who come to me with prayer requests. It’s just heartwarming to be able to help someone.”
She said her Sunday school class – one of The Mill’s oldest – “just likes to take on projects” and that His StoreHouse has been theirs to run since 2011.
Williamson said that by utilizing the old choir room – with its name plate still on the door – is “another example of how The Mill is faithful in using every square inch” of its facilities for the Lord’s work.
If you’d like to volunteer to shop, stock or distribute items, please email info@amrbc.org or leave a voicemail with His StoreHouse at 864-208-2185.
