Dedicated to his faith and The Salvation Army’s Mission

David Eggleton, Thrift Store Manager at the Salvation Army’s Burlington, North Carolina
location, has been serving the Salvation Army for over 20 years.

By: Olivia Figueroa

David Eggleton is the current Thrift Store Manager for the Salvation Army of Burlington,

located in Burlington, North Carolina. David has held the position of Thrift Store Manager in

Burlington for the past two years, after he moved from Concord, New Hampshire, with his wife

and kids. Prior to moving, David held the position of Thrift Store Manager for six and a half

years in the Salvation Army’s Concord location. As a faithful christian himself, his personal

values align with those of the Salvation Army’s and happily serves for the betterment of the

communities around him.

He had been brought up as a Christian his entire life, and at age 17 enlisted in the Navy.

“I was chasing everything except the church,” David said. With the end of his navy days, around

50 years old, David was able to get back into his faith. David began volunteering with the
Salvation Army in 2000, leading him to become a member of the Salvation Army church. “It

regenerated my faith in God and was a big boost to my spiritual life,” states David. Working for

the Salvation Army has helped David keep his faith, as their mission statement is to spread the

Gospel and the word of Jesus Christ and to tend to other people’s needs whether the be

spiritually or physically. The store, to David, embodies both a business side and Christian side.

David always tells people “Business is business, this is just god’s Business. You have to run this

store like any other Walmart or J. C. Penny, but there’s a Christian slant to it, a spiritual nature.”

What David means by a “Christian slant,” is where the money goes. For every dollar spent, 85

cents goes towards the Salvation Army’s programs. Programs that help send kids to camp, fund

food banks, help flood victims, or help people pay rent. The salvation army has the highest dollar

to program return rate than other church or charity in the country. “That’s the biggest thing that

we do, we help people in need, there’s nothing greater than that or more christian.” David hopes

to expand the stores success and efforts in order to help even more people than the Salvation

Army is currently serving. “The more funds you generate, the more good you can do for more

people.” David hopes to achieve this through the use of social media platforms, selling high

ticket items that would normally not sell in the store but could potentially sell online. Through

the creation of a new instagram account as well as updating the Thrift Store’s facebook, David

has already posted and sold an antique dresser, leading him one step closer to his dream for more

good.