UGRM thanks community with customer appreciation day

The United Gospel Rescue Mission will have a Customer Appreciation Day from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday at the thrift store, 421 W. Pine Blvd., with attendees treated to food and a chance to win a prize.

“We’re having a Customer Appreciation Day because this town has been good to us,” said mission Executive Director Greg Kirk. “We want to thank our customers for shopping at the mission store for all these years.”

Grilled hot dogs and chips will be served to those attending.

“We’ve got a drawing anyone who comes in can enter for a $250 meat package from Country Road Market and we’ve get two $100 gift certificates from Whitworth’s Gift Chest Jewelers,” Kirk said. “It’s going to be a big deal. Anyone who shows up, can fill in a chance, at no cost, but if you spend $5 in the store, you get an extra chance. If you spend $20, you get four extra chances or you spend $100 you get 10.”

Kirk said this is the “first time we’ve ever done something like it but it won’t be the last. We may make it an annual event.”

The day is designed for people to “come and meet the pastor, meet our staff,” Kirk said. “Come and you don’t have to buy anything. You can come and put a chance to try to win the package or the gift certificates. Leave, you don’t have to be present to win. We’ll probably have a drawing around 2 o’clock. We’re going to get everybody’s email address and we’ll notify you by email. If you don’t have an email, you better borrow one from somebody.”

The thrift store helps support the activities of the UGRM.

UGRM provides an average 7,000 nights of safe shelter for homeless men, along with its New Life Discipleship Program, a resident recovery program for men seeking to overcome addiction and other life-dominating habits, according to the group. UGRM also provides more than 60,000 free meals annually along with utility assistance, clothing, household goods, USDA food boxes for the elderly, holiday meals and more for the community of Poplar Bluff, Butler County and beyond.