Centreville Baptist Church opens Free Community Clothing Closet
Michelle Howarth saw a problem in her community and devised a solution. She was concerned with what she recognized as an unmet need in the Carleton North area: there was no place for low-income families to access necessary clothing, and she resolved to do something about it.
With the support of the Centreville Baptist Church, including Pastor Rich Woollin and a team of volunteers, Howarth opened the Centreville Baptist Free Community Clothing Closet. Located in the church’s basement, the former home of Centreville Childcare has been repurposed to serve the community once again.
Pastor Woollin said he shared Howarth’s concerns, noting that while “there were other organizations providing food, none were providing clothing” for those in need in the Carleton North area. When Howarth suggested transforming the former Centreville Childcare classrooms into a community closet, Woollin was on board from the get-go.
Howarth said they had significant help from Harvest House, True North Baptist Church, and Camp Shiktehawk in the form of initial clothing donations to set up shop. They also received financial aid from Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada, which they used to purchase shelving and clothing racks and paint the former classrooms that have been transformed into closets.
Each closet is organized into women’s clothing, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, and miscellaneous housewares. They also have guest washrooms, which double as changing rooms for people to try things on.
The new ‘store’ also has a coffee room, where the church provides free coffee, tea, juice, water, and cookies.
Howarth stressed that her volunteer team makes this community service possible.
“We have a group of roughly ten ladies from the church and the community,” said Howarth, explaining that they work in teams overseeing getting the clothing organized in the closets for “sale” days, making sure the treats are provided for the coffee room and also working in their “sorting room.” There, Howarth said, is where all the donations are brought in and sorted into proper categories and then stored until the next sale. Volunteers work every week to prepare for their monthly sale days.
Going beyond merely putting the clothing out for visitors, Howarth said they also ensure each piece is freshly laundered, and they even have a volunteer seamstress who makes any necessary repairs to any clothing items donated.
The ‘closet’ is already a success. On its first Friday, over 50 people stopped by, and on its second Friday, over 40 people came in the first hour.
“An excitement has built up and is spreading. But honestly, if only one family comes in, then it’s worth it,” said Howarth.
Howarth stressed that all items at the Community Clothing Closet are free. Donations, however, are welcome, whether it’s clothing for the closet or money, which Pastor Woollin said is used to support children’s programming and local families in need. Clothing donations can be left inside the church during business hours or at their drop-off box by the side entrance.
The Community Clothing Closet is open one Friday afternoon per month from 3 to 6 p.m. The next sale date is April 25. For more information, please visit the Centreville Baptist Church Facebook page or contact the church at 506-276-3290.
