KLOTHES KLOSET update

Time for an update on our Monday morning Bible Study group endeavor to set up a clothing ministry to help the people in our area. Our church already had a ministry to young mothers with children up to 24 months. We inherited this wonderful Baby Room which was already wonderfully set up. We spent time there switching out the clothing from summer to winter and boxing up for storage some items to give us more room.

Judy in the Baby Room
Judy who hosts the Bible Study in her home, along with Linda, had the vision was for this Klothes Kloset ministry. 6 of us have committed to it. Judy, Linda, Susan, Thelma, Betty, Shirley, & Martha.

Another shot of the Baby Room.

We have spent the last 4 Mondays working hard getting the new Adult Room set up. We have meet at 9 a.m. and worked until 2. We have been so blessed with an abundance of donations of older children and adult clothing. Our biggest problem has been not having just one good round clothing rack and 3 straight, pretty flimsy racks. Monday one of the racks broke sending all the hung items flying into a heap.

We went and talked to Pastor Gary about putting up two clothing racks and shelves across one wall, like the Baby Room but he felt it would be better to not make permanent adjustments, because we trust this ministry is going to grow and we will not be in these 2 rooms for too long. He is going give us a VERY LARGE storage clothes to use and back up and they will put one long hanging rack in there because that room will never been anything but for storage. He suggested we try and find some used racks on maybe Cr*aig's Li*st and let them know the cost.

I've never done Cr*aig's Li*st but I came home and tried to find something on it. I either did not know what I was doing (highly possible!!) or there was nothing. So I just googled in "clothing racks/used/Tulsa" and several places came up. I called and located round racks for $45 & $55. $55 with rollers.

Yesterday morning I called the church and told them what we'd found. They asked how many we needed and I said 2 or 3. They wanted to know how much, and when they heard the prices they said, "Go get them!! Get 3 and get the ones with rollers." I explained I hadn't even seen them and couldn't guarantee how good they were. Since we had to drive 30 miles one way to view them they went ahead and gave me a check, which could be voided if it they were duds, so we didn't have to make 2 trips.

Mickey & I headed to Tulsa. The place was a huge, OLD yellow brick multi-story building. I've never seen so many "fixtures, shelves, mannequins, signs, etc." in my life. We rode in a rusty old freight elevator and I said, "How old is this building?" It was built in 1942. Something almost as old as us!!!!!

The racks were just what we needed and wanted but they were all in pieces and had to be matched up. It was 11:40 so Mickey & I went to get a bite of lunch and came back and picked ups our 3 lovely, round clothes racks. YEAH

Three shots of the new racks just sitting in the middle of the floor!!!

Doesn't look like much yet, but remember this room is still a work in progress but we are sooo happy to have these racks. I'll post pictures when we get the room all finished.

They loaded them into the back of our HHR. Luckily we have the back seat that folds down and makes an area to haul things. When we got to the Church Mickey unloaded them, we put them on the elevator to get them to the 2nd floor where our rooms are, and then he put them all together.

I spent time hanging up all the items we had on hangers while he went down to the kitchen area to check things out. THAT is a whole other post that will be coming up.

We will open the first week of November. Thelma and I are working Tuesday and Judy and Linda are working Thursday. We will be open those two days a week from 9 to 3. The other gals will help out and be greatly involved as they are available.

I have really been impressed with how hard all of these gals work and how much we've gotten done on this huge job. Sad to say, but I've been involved in ministry before where some don't carry their weight in work, but like to come and talk and visit!! Not a one like that in this wonderful group.

God is so good!!