Chrisman’s Philathea House to change location
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The First Baptist Church of Chrisman created the ministry called Philathea House in March of 2019 and was incorporated in May. The ministry provides clothing, household items, linens and other needs for people that are at or below the poverty line.
“We serve children, youth and adults of all ages. Many of our clients barely make ends meet working and now find themselves unemployed,” Pastor Ken Crawford said. “Our assistance helps to provide services that are not covered by other agencies in town. We anticipate a very large need this summer.”
Their clothing ministry is unique in the respect that they want to create an atmosphere of value and worth for their customers and give them high quality clothing at a very affordable price. Many of the items sell for one, two or three dollars and sometimes their coupons allow even greater savings.
“We take pride in having one of the nicest shops in the county with a pleasant welcoming atmosphere,” Crawford said. “All of our clothing is donated, sorted for quality and current style, cleaned and displayed on professional racks.”
The donations of clothing have allowed low income families to dress their children in current styles and every item sold is in very good or near perfect condition, cleaned, pressed and displayed in a manner that allows them to shop and choose from a good selection in all sizes from infant to adult.
“Sometimes we receive new items and we do not mark them up so bargains can be found every day of the year. Our entire ministry operates on donations and our only source of income comes from the modest prices we charge,” Ken told us.
As Philathea House has grown, the ministry has outgrown its currently location and they felt the need to expand their services to meet the needs of the community.
“For this reason, we have acquired the building at 120 Pennsylvania Street on Route One in Chrisman to better serve our community,” Crawford said. “We have seventy-five to one hundred regular customers and can see the greater need.”
In addition to providing for low income families, the ministry also offers family counseling for domestic violence, depression, conflict mediation, spiritual support and general mental wellness.
“Many of our clients cannot afford such services and sometimes need help with prescriptions provided by licensed physicians.”
Chrisman First Baptist Church was established in 1830 and has been in continuous operation since inception. “We are approaching two hundred years of ministry and service to Chrisman and the surrounding area,” Crawford said.
Plans for a grand opening are being scheduled. A bag sale took place from the 16th to 19th, followed by closing the week of the 21st to prepare for the move. Be sure to search ‘Philathea House – Non Profit Thrift Shop’ on Facebook for more updates on the moving announcement.
