God’s Closet provides donated clothing for growing children

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By Emma Swanson Times Reporter

For the past decade, God’s Closet, a ministry engaged with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has provided donated clothing to children in Strathmore.
“Children grow really fast and clothes are expensive,” said Debbie Schwartz, God’s Closet executive coordinator of the Strathmore branch.
God’s Closet hosts a “free-shop day” event every three months with a $1 entry fee per family.
People can fill up two supplied shopping bags with “as many clothes as they can,” said Schwartz.
The new and used clothing is donated to God’s Closet by individuals, families and businesses throughout the year.
“Anybody that wants to come in and purchase the clothes can,” said Schwartz. “We don’t discriminate against anyone.”
Schwartz has collected children’s clothing donated to God’s Closet for four years. In this time, she said she “most appreciates the ability to get clothes for children.”
God’s Closet “sees the need of the people,” added Schwartz, those who are out of work in a hard economy or told to stay home from work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The next free-shop day event was scheduled for May 27; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwartz said God’s Closet is unsure as to whether the next free-shop day will be postponed.
“We don’t know if they’re going to let us do the event,” said Schwartz.
Schwartz said that while “it’s a rewarding thing to do,” she hopes people come into better financial states.
“Not only do people share clothes with us, they take the clothes they need,” said Schwartz.
The free-shop day event has carried donated shoes, maternity clothes, crib sheets, baby blankets and children’s clothing ranging in size from newborn to teen.
Donations to God’s Closet are kept in a trailer for storage; the day before the free-shop day event, volunteers for God’s Closet sort through the donated clothes by size.
“It’s an intensive day,” said Schwartz, “easy, but a lot of labour.”
Volunteers for God’s Closet also help keep tables supplied while people go through the items during the free-shop day. “We can never have enough volunteers,” said Schwartz.
In the past year, the free-shop day event has been hosted at Westmount School and at Lord of All Lutheran Church.
Schwartz said the drop-off location for donations to God’s Closet is at 107 Cambria Rd. In cases where one cannot access the drop-off location, God’s Closet is also able to pick up clothing donations.
God’s Closet does not accept furniture, toys or car seats for donations.
There are currently 42 God’s Closet chapters located in Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Visit the Strathmore chapter on Facebook.