“So if a church has a pet project that is really close to their heart, we want to be able to fund it,” says the local business owner, who grew up in nearby Summerville.

The clientele is mostly made up of wealthy members of the community who enjoy browsing the store for unexpected treasures. Recently, a century-old deck chair valued at about $4,000 was even sold for $400.

Wetherell hopes to attract more large, low-income families and/or individuals in need in the future. To that end, some of the store’s unsold clothing and shoes are often donated to East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO). Another charity that God’s Goods supports is Hope to Home, giving them $9,000 annually to furnish homes for the homeless with new mattresses.

Wetherell said his thrift store had donated more than $126,000 to the community through July.

The goal is to one day match or surpass the $5 million in donations generated over 15 years by the God’s Goods Thrift Store in Bluffton. The Hilton Head-area location served as the model for Wetherell’s Mount Pleasant store and was the store where both of his now-deceased parents volunteered.

“Now that I’m retiring, we want to do something meaningful with the thrift store,” Wetherell added, thanking his family members, including his wife Terri – an ordained minister – for their support in making God’s Goods a thriving business.

“It’s not about bringing things in, taking them out and selling them – that’s not a retail mentality. I mean, we look at the store as a mission field.”

With more retail space available at Sweetgrass Mercantile, Wetherell’s goal of raising more funds seems achievable.

God Good’s Thrift Store is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information, visit the store’s Facebook page or website (www.GodsGoodsMTP.org).