How to Start a Community Clothing Closet

Many churches run a Community Clothing Closet. Here is how to help your church or a local Youth Center or other group get a great clothing closet started.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Space to run clothing closet
• Volunteers

1. To begin a Community Clothing Closet you will require a place to run the Clothing Closet.
   
   This will require volunteers willing to assist the needy in clothing selection and also to help maintain and organize the closet.

2. Request donations from people closing yard or rummage sales. Don't forget to spread the word to everyone perhaps a small ad in the paper that "The Youth Center" is accepting gently used winter clothing for their clothing closet starting September.

3. State hours that the closet will be open and make sure you have volunteers to run it.
   
   The clothes should be free or perhaps you could request that the people assist at the clothing closet for a short time in order to receive clothing. Never turn away someone in need of clothing for any reason though. Don't let a child go cold because no one in the family is willing to volunteer an hour or so.
   
   Perhaps the family could bring in clothing children have outgrown and exchange it for clothing that fits the child.

4. Always be cheerful. You never know when you might be the one in need.

Tips & Warnings

• This can easily became a very large scale operation. Make sure to keep it under control if you do not want it to become so large scale.
• There will always be an exception to the rule. Someone who doesn't really need the clothing vs someone who desperately needs it.
• Never be judgmental of the people stopping by.

[RiteNow]

on 10/24/2008 Excellent article. Lots of great information and truths. 5*****