Harwood House Thrift Shop
About Harwood House
Purpose: To provide a Damascus United Methodist Church outreach ministry to the greater Damascus community.
Objective: To use net proceeds to support a worthy Christian ministry; for example, United Methodist Commission on Relief (UMCOR), Damascus HELP, Damascus Ecumenical Layman's Association (DELAI), and other church selected ministry.
Contact: 301-253-0025
Location: Corner of Woodfield Road (Route 124) and Main Street in Damascus, Maryland.
Hours:
Open for Donations:
Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.
Open for Sales:
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The Harwood House Thrift Shop makes every effort to keep their expenses to a minimum; and this fact, coupled with the generosity of church and community donors, enables them to maintain a thrift shop with three-fold benefits:
- Provide moderately priced clothing and household items to local families.
- Donors can clean closets and cabinets, attics and garages, and receive a tax deduction for unwanted items.
- Funds received from sales provide financial support for local charities, and a few national and international charities.
Our History:
Harwood House opened in March 1993, as an outreach of Damascus United Methodist Church, for the benefit of the Damascus community. Beginning as a small venture, the shop has grown to a full-scale operation with clothing, shoes, purses, books, floral decorations, jewelry, linens, toys, and a large variety of household items.
When donations arrive, they are sorted by category and distributed to the appropriate department. They are then inspected, priced, and made ready for the sales room. Electric and electronic items are tested to be sure they are in working order. Items for sale are then displayed on shelves or racks in the shop. Clothing unsold after five weeks is donated to Frederick Rescue Mission. Harwood House has one salaried employee – volunteers do all the other work necessary to keep the shop running smoothly.
Need Volunteer to Handle eBay Sales
The thrift shop is looking for an individual experienced in eBay sales who may already have an eBay account and who would be willing to take “special” items that we receive in donation and place them on eBay.
Occasionally the shop receives an item, e.g., most recently a “Madame Alexander” doll, which may have more value than a price that could be asked in the thrift shop. The individual would take pictures, list on eBay with details and required information, and be willing to ship items. (The shop would reimburse the shipping charges.)
Again, these items are received only now and then so the time commitment would be minimal. This is a request for a special volunteer, but Harwood House has many other opportunities to volunteer in the shop.
Please contact Carol Martin at 301-253-3742 or carolleomartin@aol.com for more information or to volunteer.