First United Methodist Church in Clanton held its third annual Christ’s Closet event on Saturday, Aug. 8. Around 300 people picked out free clothes from the church’s collection, which it amassed over the past year.

Members of the church and people in the community who heard about the event donated throughout the year. Organizers said some of the people who came and got clothes the previous year donated the clothing they had since outgrown.

Christi Mitchell, the Children’s Minister at FUMC, organized the event.

“Three years ago around Easter, we talked about different outreaches that were going on in the community … and we wanted an outreach to people that are not churched, something that would really help,” said Mitchell.

They had the idea of collecting and giving away clothes that would otherwise have been thrown away or sold in yard sales. Christ’s Closet opened soon after this meeting, and just had its third annual event.

Around 20 people showed up on Monday and Tuesday the week before the event to help sort clothes. Many of the volunteers were from the church’s Celebrate Recovery program, which meets every Monday night at 6:30p.m. Mitchell said the sorting was faster than ever this year, thanks to all of the volunteers.

This year required plenty of sorting. The church’s gymnasium was full of tables, all piled high with clothing. Since the inception of the event, it has grown unexpectedly.

“We originally thought children’s clothes, shoes, jackets, and backpacks, but we got a lot of adult clothes, too. Now it’s baby sizes all the way up … we have every size,” said Mitchell. “People donated their nice, [brand name] things. The children are so excited to see those things.”

If you would like to learn more or donate clothes for next year, call FUMC at (205)755-0490 or contact Christi Mitchell by email at: children@clantonfumc.org.