The Global Outreach Center at 767 South West is opening up a store called the Matthew 25 Thrift Shop at 1429 South Main in the old Kiddos store location.

The non-profit store will be opening February 12th and looks to sell furniture, dishes, household goods, clothing, toys and electronics, among other items. They’re looking for donated items right now.

Pastor John Hutton and his wife Mandy have run the Global Outreach Center for two years. He says the name of the store is based on the church’s Matthew 25 project, and that the goal is for the store itself to be a continuation of that project.

“We basically set up the project, of course, out of the scripture of [the book of] Matthew, [Chapter] 25. It’s overall goal is to partner with any ministry in Jacksonville that’s helping needy people,” he says. “Whether that’s a soup kitchen, a Salvation Army setting, homeless shelter- any various things like that that are helping look out for people that are going through hard times and need some extra assistance, because there’s a lot of people who need assistance that don’t qualify for state assistance.”

The Matthew 25 Project was started about a half-year ago.

Like the offerings given by churchgoers, Hutton says half of the proceeds from the store will go back to the community.

“We divide offerings between an orphanage in Romania and we help support a prison ministry that’s based here in Jacksonville, and we just look for any other area in town,” says Hutton.

“And it doesn’t always have to be an outreach ministry. We’ve helped flood victims when the Mauvaisterre flooded. We’ve helped people with funeral expenses who couldn’t afford to do a funeral. Basically it’s just set up to really just help people who have needs, period,” he adds.

Store hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. To make an item donation to the new store, call 245-9925.