Clothing Household Goods – North UMC, Minneapolis
The primary outreach program for North UMC is the Clothing Closet outreach. This provides free clothing for families in need, set up in the same manner as a store. Thus, people do not have the stigma of feeling like they are digging through the cast off clothes of others. For families with children who keep growing, it is a valuable resource in a population where often the choice is between food or clothes, but not both. One of the newer groups we are reaching out to is Restoration Counseling and Community Services, providing clothing for people who have just been released from prison and are in the program to help them succeed.
We also have reached out to our Fourth Precinct Minneapolis Police officers – we welcome new inspectors and say good bye to those leaving by hosting community dinners and times to allow the community members a chance to get to know the Police officers. The MPD is always invited to any of our outreach events, so they can see people on the North side who are NOT in trouble, and so residents can get to know them as real people.
Families coming to the church for clothing are welcomed and invited to sit down and share in coffee, juice and snacks with volunteers who talk with them and find out any specific needs they might have or prayers they would like offered. Many of them now feel that this is their church, even if they have not reached the hoped for outcome of church attendance. They feel listened to, they know this is a safe space, and many have come back to talk to someone when they have serious problems and want prayers and advice.
Getting Started: Talking during a visioning meeting about what the need was and ways we might be able to address it, setting up an area in the church and gathering clothing, sending 3 volunteers to Ohio to a training with a church that also ran a clothing closet and outreach ministries in an urban area.
For information contact: Rev. Linda Koelman – 612-522-4497 –