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Finding right fit for youthJun 30, 2011 (San Bernardino County Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SAN BERNARDINO -- Barbara Plunk held up the child's size 2 party dress, exclaiming how cute it was. "Look, this one is new -- it still has the tags on it," said Plunk, a volunteer with Del Rosa United Methodist Church. Plunk and fellow volunteer Doris Coonrod can be found each Wednesday at the church's Kids' Clothes Closet, a spare room filled with children's clothing. On Wednesdays, the pair sort, wash, repair, fold and tag the donated clothing according to size and type. Clothes either hang on commercial racks purchased at a second-hand store, or are stacked neatly on tables. From 8 to 11 a.m. the second Saturday of each month, the ladies open the door and give out the free clothing to families in need. "This was a dream I had," Coonrod said. "Our church has rummage sales and I saw nice little sweaters and things go out of here. We have kids over here at this school who need sweaters, so I thought why not save a few winter things. "I envisioned bringing my sewing machine down on Saturday mornings and doing a little repair," she said. "Baloney. They stood in line and they've been standing in line ever since." According to Plunk, Coonrod is the greatest repair lady of all time. "Doris can do so much with so little," Plunk said. Through the Kids' Closet, people who need children's clothes come and pick out clothing that has been donated from church members and the community. The Closet, which began in the nursery four years ago, has now grown into a program that serves about 100 children every month. Coonrod washes the clothes that come in and makes the necessary repairs. Together, the women have spent hundreds of hours on the project, which they both say is close to their hearts. Church pastor Sangman Shin said the two women have strong dedication and have been serving the church many years. "Serving the community through providing free children's clothing is an important ministry for our church," Shin said, "and when people donate clothes and children's shoes, they are also participating in this ministry." Generally, recipients are appreciative. "We have some people who come up to us and say 'You have no idea how much this means to us.' That makes everything we do so worthwhile," Coonrod said. Over the years, they've seen an increase in needy families. "More people are coming all the time. Most of them are walk-ins from the nearby apartment buildings," Coonrod said. On the second Saturday, when the Closet is open, the United Methodist Men's Group has a food giveaway. The men's project began more than a year ago. "The men run out of food really fast. People need and we give and the need is really bad," she said. To see more of the San Bernardino County Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sbsun.com. Copyright (c) 2011, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |