That’s because Judy David has turned the unit into a community clothes closet where she gives clothes and other items away absolutely free.
When asked where her motivation came from, David said, “God told me to.”
She went on to explain that she has a number of disabilities and that one day she was just sitting around and said, “God, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“He said, ‘Get up and go give away clothes,’” David said. “So, here we are.”
She began collecting clothes in March and got them from anywhere and everywhere, incuding from her church members at First Assembly of God.
In September, she set up her operation at the storage unit at 1948 Zebulon Road. What started out as David working alone for an hour one day a week, has ballooned to include four volunteers who help sort, hang up and give out clothing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“We just started taking donations and it grew overnight. We take clothes, shoes, furniture, anything we can get, and we turn it around and give it away for free,” David said.
During the week before Thanksgiving, 88 people visited the clothes closet, and David consistently averages 10 to 30 people a day who come by for free clothing.
“I don’t require any kind of information other than their name or e-mail so we can e-mail them when we get something in their size,” she said.
Clothes are not the only items donated and given away. Recently, someone donated a washer and dryer. Bedroom suites and other items have also been donated, but the core of the opration centers around clothing and shoes, books and toys.
One of David’s volunteers came upon the operation quite by accident on Craig’s List and couldn’t resist helping.
“I went to see her to get my kids some clothes and it just spoke to my heart to donate the clothes I had,” said Lynn Pruett, who is battling bone cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma while volunteering at the clothes closet three days a week. “I saw how much she was doing for so many families and each individual person. This is just my wanting to give back to her. Now, people drop clothes off at my door. I don’t even know where they come from. It’s an awesome opportunity to help. It’s an amazing thing.”
While David has received donations to help cover the monthly cost of the storage unit, payment also comes directly from her and husband George’s pockets.
The ultimate goal, David says, is to offer furniture and a food pantry.
While David acknowledges the storage unit, and the one beside it that All Guard Self-Storage allows for overage, as a blessing, she is hoping for a rent-free building with heat for her growing charity operation.
In the meantime, she and her volunteers plan to continue working through the cold and rain.
“We can’t stop doing this,” David said as she pointed to her car and its overflow of clothing and toys. “We can’t.”
Anyone with items to donate, can e-mail Daivd at gwjldvaid82@yahoo.com or drop them off at the unit.
Post a Comment