Farragut Church of Christ Senior Minister Paul Phelps and his daughter, Abbie Phelps, 12, stack boxes of donated items in the church hallway that are earmarked for KARM as part of a program called Corners of Your Field.

Knoxville Tenn - The new Knox Area Rescue Ministries program "Corners of Your Field" is based on an Old Testament passage supporters say easily translates to answer today's needs.

Leviticus 19: 9-10 instruct farmers to leave the "corners of your field" unharvested "for the needy and for the stranger" to reap. Convert those Old Testament fields into today's closets, garages, basements and attics filled with excess or unwanted items. That's the idea behind KARM's 21st-century "Corner of Your Field."

The program's a partnership with 42 East Tennessee nonprofits. Most are churches in Knox County, although other groups including Young Life and the Knoxville Opera participate.

The program offers an incentive for congregations to donate used objects members no longer need or use to KARM thrift stores. KARM returns between 1 and 3 percent of the value of the donated goods to the church in the form of "KARM Cares" gift cards. The cards can be used to buy items at any KARM thrift store.

"Churches effectively increase what they are giving by asking their people to consciously give their used household goods to the thrift stores. We turn those items into financial resources," says Pete Zanoni, KARM director of product donations.

Many people give unwanted items based on convenience, KARM Vice President of Development Angie Sledge says. They load up too-small clothes and outgrown toys in their cars and take them to the closest donation spot. Or they give to an organization because it will pick up the items. KARM, Sledge says, wanted to make those donations more about conscious giving, a modern rendition of a farmer leaving parts of his field for others to harvest.

"It's ministry no matter where you turn," Sledge says. "Everybody is benefiting. You donate to the thrift store. The proceeds made by the thrift store support 100 percent the mission of KARM. The stores create jobs and job training. Donors know their gifts are going to be used for something good. The church they belong to gets a benefit by having their benevolence fund enhanced."

Some churches gather items as a congregation for the program; some contribute what's left from rummage sales. Many times individual members bring items to KARM and tell workers which church gets the credit.

The program has increased donations. In 2010 items valued at $39,000 were given KARM stores by donors who listed church affiliations. This year almost $70,000 has been brought in by church members. Zanoni attributes the boost directly to Corners of Your Field. That figure doesn't include the items KARM picked up from churches.

KARM calculates the giveback for gift cards four times a year. Some churches may get $40 in cards, others $300 to $400. Since the program launched in January $10,000 in gift cards have been given participating churches or nonprofits, Zanoni says. He estimates that number will be $12,000 by year's end.

A family who survived a house fire received some cards. Other cards were given to a family a church member knew needed coats and school clothes for their children. Blake used the cards to buy clothing for an elderly woman living in assisted living with limited finances. "She was in tears. She was so happy," recalls Blake.

"The first thing I love about this program is that there is no stigma attached to it. It is a gift card," says Blake. "People are buying what they need in the sizes they want, the style they want. It allows us to give them more financially than we would have been able to otherwise.

"The second reason I love this program is because it is so cyclical, It gives back in so many ways," says Blake. It really is another way that God provides. It reminds me of the (New Testament) story of the loaves and the fishes. God can really make a lot out of a little."