Mission Central: A Ministry Sharing God’s Love
Authors: Tricia Louque and Donna Tinsley
Earlier this year, the Foundation Board of Directors awarded grants to twenty-five ministries across the Virginia Conference, including Mission Central Clothes Closet, a faith-based ministry sponsored by the Harrisonburg District of The United Methodist Church. The Children’s Clothes Closet provides children’s clothing and baby supplies, free of charge, to needy families from all walks of life in the community. “Equipment for Caring” loans medical equipment to anyone in the community who has a need. Both programs are volunteer-run and rely on the generous support of churches and individuals to sustain their mission.
In a recent interview, the Foundation discussed the mission of Mission Central, how they dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and the stories they continue to
witness in ministry.
The mission of the Children’s Clothes Closet is to share God’s love in Jesus Christ to those in need. Volunteers share that love through clothes, diapers and prayers as they grow in friendship with one another and extend the Spirit of Christ to all who come regardless of nationality or creed.
Can you tell us a story about something you have witnessed while volunteering with Mission Central?
I remember one young single mom who came in just before Christmas to shop for her two young children. She had to move and needed money for the deposit to her new apartment, but hadn’t received the deposit back yet from her old apartment. She couldn’t afford Christmas gifts for her children. She told me that it broke her heart when her daughter said, “It’s ok, Mom, we don’t need anything this Christmas.” We helped her to find clothing and special things she could use as gifts. She was so grateful, and had nowhere else to turn. This client has not been back for a long time, and we hope it is because she was able to find her way financially, but we were there to help her over a rough patch.
What inspires you most about your ministry work?
It’s seeing the smile of relief and gratitude, and sometimes tears, when a client comes in and learns that everything is free, and that we will help them to get the things they need! Also, it is so uplifting to see how they reach out to each other to help. It has been so rewarding to get to know them, and to realize that we all just want the same thing: to raise our kids to be healthy and happy people.
I would add that a secondary but extremely important outcome of our mission goes beyond the financial aspect. Our mission also helps to promote good emotional and mental health. Our donors provide beautiful, quality used clothing; the children we serve are able to dress well and not be ashamed at school. This is so important to their self-esteem as they struggle to adjust to a new environment and just want to “fit in” and make friends.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the pandemic?
The pandemic presented multiple challenges; most significant was the need to provide clothing and diapers safely by limiting personal contact. We allowed clients to place their order by filling out a sheet that detailed information about each child: age, clothing and shoe sizes, and any other details that would help the volunteers to fill the order successfully on their behalf, versus having them come physically into the building. We still provided 50,000 diapers in 2020, despite COVID! The clothes and diapers were needed more than ever with people out of work and struggling.
Before COVID, we offered a play area for the children while the parents shopped. This was discontinued during COVID. However, one volunteer has made it her special mission to provide activity kits, snacks and sometimes special items to each child receiving our services. One little boy who we encouraged to take some small toys was heard to say, “I like it here; these people are really nice!” That definitely made us smile.
How has the Foundation’s grant award assisted your ministry in achieving its goals?
The Foundation’s grant has greatly helped us to purchase diapers for our families who are struggling to make ends meet. Diapers are their most pressing need – an inadequate supply means limited diaper changes, often resulting in serious health issues for an infant. Diapers are very expensive, and obviously can only be used once, as opposed to the clothing we offer. Many of our families come to us for diapers first, then clothing. This grant is our main source of critical funding to provide diapers to our families in need. In addition to diapers, the grant allows us to purchase other needed items we may not receive through donations, such as new socks and underwear. We are so grateful to the Foundation and to all those in our United Methodist Church family who make our mission possible.
