The Salvation Army wants your donations of used clothing, furniture and household goods. Just not on Sundays, if at all possible.

Donations are up three-fold at the charitable organization's new thrift store at 621 E. St. Patrick St. over the old location on Main Street. Store manager Dorothy Young is thrilled about that. But items donated on Sundays, when the thrift store is closed, are falling prey to theft, destruction and recent rainy weather, which hurts the charity's bottom line, Young said.

The problem is caused when well-intentioned people use the drop-off dock on the east side of the building for Sunday deliveries, followed by others ransacking the donations for free merchandise.

"There are those in our community who lack compassion and character and have helped themselves to the charitable donations that are left on our receiving dock," Mark Kirkeby, director of development, said. "It's free pickings but, really, how dare you steal from charity?"

Even worse, Kirkeby said, is that they destroy much of what they don't steal by exposing it to the elements. The loading dock is covered but not enclosed, and thieves are carting off valuable items or digging through sacks and tossing saleable items they don't want out into the parking lot. Dirty clothing items and rained-on furniture cannot be sold and must be destroyed.

Meanwhile, others are using The Salvation Army parking lot as a dumping ground for unusable appliances and junk items. That creates additional disposal fees - $45 per large appliance - that cuts into the charity's profits. Adding staff or volunteers to provide security on Sunday also is possible.

Young prefers that people stop donating on Sunday. "We love the donations, but we just want them during business hours, if possible," she said.

If that isn't possible, please call the store at 342-8849 to arrange for free pickup of the items.

"If you absolutely have to make a donation after business hours, please be courteous and put it out of Mother Nature's way," Kirkeby said.

A security camera monitors the dock, and Young said prosecutions are possible if license plate numbers or identities are verified.

Contact Mary Garrigan at 394-8409 or mary.garrigan@rapidcityjournal.com