Expanded clothing giveaway to meet Valley needs

PALMER — With back-to-school season rapidly approaching, free clothing can be a big help for families on tight budgets.

Real Life Church, 10697 E. Palmer-Wasilla Highway, and Frontline Mission from Wasilla Lake Church of the Nazarene, 2001 E. Palmer-Wasilla Highway, are co-hosting their annual “Community Clothing Giveaway” as part of the Valley Pastors’ Prayer Network’s Real Love project from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 26.

“It’s mainly to help people out at a really expensive time of year, and I think it’s what God wants me to be doing so I’m doing it,” said Marilyn Redd, one of the main organizers of the event for the last several years.

Redd’s efforts with the “Community Clothing Giveaway” were honored as part of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Good Neighbor awards program in 2013.

To accommodate both, more families in need and more donations this year, the Wasilla Lake Church has offered to open its doors to help. According to Real Life Church pastor Barry Orzalli, the extra space is a big help with the organization of everything.

“In years past we literally filled up our entire sanctuary. We have tables all the way around for different sections and there’s usually clothing stacked on the floor about 4-feet high,” Orzalli said.

Judy Kopsack has been a key volunteer at the giveaway in the past three years and said that even though the mountain of clothes they receive is daunting, it pays off.

“I just love to be able to do anything that’s going to be able to help somebody in the community. It’s a great project to be involved in,” she said.

Both Kopsack and Redd mentioned that it takes several days to set up for the giveaway, but it takes months to gather the clothes. Redd said they start in April, emptying lost and found bins in schools, taking donations from consignment shops and various people, and collecting leftovers from garage sales. The churches also accept linens, toys, books and other household goods, she said.

Recycling seems to be a common thing in the Valley, too, as non-profits like the Big Lake Community Closet are often recipients of the event’s leftovers, so nothing useful gets thrown away.

“It’s neat because when people find out that we’re doing a clothing giveaway, we have multiple people that want to help out, because people who had to come get clothes in previous years are now in a position to give back,” pastor Orzalli said.

In addition to the giveaway, the volunteers like to connect with the community by having a cookout, Orzalli said.

Vandana Ingle, the Development and Communications Director at Frontline Mission, said the organization started as a food pantry, but has since expanded to respond to more needs of local residents.

“We work to help the less fortunate in our community and connect those who need help with those who have the resources,” Ingle said.

Frontline Mission distributes food on Wednesdays and Fridays every week, and has a clothing closet of its own that offers free clothing on Fridays. Last year they hosted a Thanksgiving dinner serving 300 meals and distributed 150 food baskets at Christmastime. Ingle estimated that, on average, 400 people visit the mission every week.

“The Valley has a really deep need and our homelessness here is really hidden — not like Anchorage where you see it more in the open,” Ingle said.

For more information, call 357-8600.