A little baby girl plans to arrive in two weeks. She has no idea, but her mom had a divine appointment here at The Giving Closet today…

Yesterday, a man called on the phone with some baby items to donate. It became clear when he said he was donating an entire nursery that there was a story behind his request. Usually, we do not accept some of the things he was bringing, but we felt the need to be available to him. He brought his things in and all of them were new. Brand new boxes, tags, beautiful items bought in the joy of a baby girl on her way to join the family. This couple decided they were ready to let go and bless someone in need with their baby girl’s things. She died six years ago and never got the chance to use them.

We were able to share these beautiful new things with a mom who is alone, homeless and living in a friend’s spare room at the moment after fleeing an unhealthy relationship. She had nothing but a few clothes for her baby. We were able to share with her a bit of the story we knew and the timing of this tender gift her new daughter, Andrea, was about to receive. She asked for the man’s address so she could send them a thank you note.

We never got this man’s name.

It became very clear that God had a plan all along. Today, He transformed one family’s loss, despair, and sadness into LIFE, HOPE and PROVISION for baby Andrea.

Cutting class is a good thing on Common Day of Service at Warner Pacific College. These students arrived on September 16th with open hearts and willing hands to do whatever we needed them to do! Thank you for living out your motto, “Where faith and scholarship lead to service”. It looks amazing around here!

Close your eyes and draw in a huge breath…and imagine that your only wish is that someone knows it’s your birthday and celebrates YOU. These gifts went to a group of youth whose very WISH may have been just that. To be known, celebrated, and loved. We delivered these birthday gifts in hopes of bringing BIRTHDAY JOY to the hearts of these young people that have no one to celebrate with them.

We have a new Tuesday crowd! We opened our doors to seniors and adults with disabilities who are facing life on a seriously restricted income.

One of our guests told us that she lives on $28 a month after paying for assisted living. Her smile was luminous as she let us know that she hasn’t been able to shop for clothing in years. Your donations are making it possible for this woman and many like her to feel beautiful and amazing again!

Thank you to all our amazing volunteers! You have made the last 15 years possible. We couldn’t do this without you!!!

-Denise Currie
Executive Director

Have observed that children get the concept of giving at a very young age, even beginning at age 5. While visiting the Closet with my grandson (age 5) he asked about the people and kids that come to the Closet why they don’t have anything or need to shop at the Closet?

In an attempt to answer my grandson’s question I asked him what he would do if he didn’t have any toys? He said he would be sad. I then asked him what other children would feel if they didn’t have any toys, he said they would be sad too.  People (parents) and their kids who don’t have a lot or may not have any toys come to the Closet and get toys along with other clothing items.

I asked my grandson if he thought he had a lot of toys… “Yes”. And would it be ok to give some of them to the Closet to go to kids that didn’t have any and he again said yes adding that he was excited he could help out. So that evening we went through his toy box and pulled out toys that he wanted to give away realizing that he would not see them again and it was ok and we took them to the Closet the next day. And he was still ok.

I didn’t know the Giving Closet existed, once I heard about it and what they provided I was like, wow how come this is such a secret. Everybody in our community should know about what the Closet provides. Providing clothing for women, men and children in all shapes, and sizes free of charge for those who are need of these items rocks. And better yet to learn that the Giving Closet’s purpose is not to enable people in need but actually attempts to provide a hand up for folks who are just down on their luck.

After hearing more about The Giving Closet I visited their location and was amazed at the buzz of activity going on inside. Surrounded by what seemed a ton (may have been if weighed) were donations coming in in just about any container possible from big boxes to plastic bins to big shopping bags. Several volunteers were in process of sorting clothing items and placing into specific carts to be further identified and hung on racks for shopping floor.  I left knowing a lot of real effort and activity was going on to help others.

At the time I visited The Closet it was not open for shopping business and I noticed from the care of how the clothing was arranged and then subsequently organized on the actual shopping floor that the philosophy and attitude of The Closet, its volunteers and staff was one of honoring the shopping client or perhaps a better word comes to mind – Dignity – providing all of this with dignity for the shopper in mind.  After leaving some days later I was thinking how cool for our community to have a Closet such as this.

I see face after face as I do service here in our community.  Those faces have been evolving over the past fourteen years while The Giving Closet has been in existence. In the early years the sea of faces was an overwhelming presence on our free shopping floor.  The needs in every face seemed bottomless!  I soon discovered that I only needed to meet the need of the one standing in front of me to the best of my ability and then move onto the next. That knowledge quickly diffused the need and its unyielding demands. This discovery allowed me to uncover every face and find the voice that just needed to be heard. After recognizing and accepting the person behind the face, a powerful experience began to take place.  These encounters changed all that I had been taught about poverty.

Changing the face of poverty is simply a step of re-education. Have you ever observed a small child at play? They only see another child they want to play with. The clarity of a small child’s actions is so easy. They do not see status, race, money, education, or job security. They just want an experience with another child. They see only with eyes of acceptance.

Take a look around you.  Poverty has no prejudice. It accepts all. Our neighbors, co-workers, relatives, friends, foreigners, unforgotten ones and outsiders are all at risk. It is all around us.  There are many issues that can threaten the support of a family in today’s economy. Life can turn on a dime, giving way to devastating health issues, job loss and family crisis.

Poverty has many faces and today I see them all. I am so grateful that I truly see every person that I am privileged to meet and serve at The Giving Closet.

Executive Director Denise Currie