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Well Worn

Beverly Levenson, volunteer coordinator for Abundance Sunday, hauled a large plastic bag stuffed with donated clothing out of her car. She needed to get it across the street to Trinity Presbyterian Church. As she struggled to lift it, a male voice asked her, “Do you need some help?”

Bev looked up. Standing in front of her was a man with a huge tumor on his face near one eye. She wondered whether he was in any condition to be lifting heavy loads, but felt she should accept his offer. “That would be very nice of you,” she told him. So he hoisted the bag and carried it for her into the church.

As they crossed the street together, the man told Bev that he makes use of Trinity’s clothing closet and that he thinks “it is really nice that Chapel Hill does this for us.”

Bev thought to herself, Wow! Here’s living proof that what we do by collecting clothing for Trinity really touches other lives!

Bev recently took over the volunteer coordinator position at the request of Local Missions Director Mary Pandiani. As the dedicated leader, Bev has the opportunity to take a holistic approach to Abundance Sunday. She gathers requests for the things most needed each month by each of the four primary recipients of our donations: Trinity, the Purdy Women’s Correctional Center, Tacoma Street Ministries and the FISH Food Bank.

In June we will specifically be collecting baby items for FISH Food Bank as well as purses and good women’s shoes for Purdy Prison. In addition, every month we collect new socks and blankets for Tacoma Street Ministry, clothing and small household items for Trinity, and women’s clothing for Purdy Prison

Bev also contacts all our volunteers to coordinate pick up, sorting and delivery of all the items that are brought in. “We could really use more volunteers,” says Bev. “We rely on the same small number of people every month. They’ve been doing it faithfully for three years and it would be nice to have enough volunteers that they could take a break once in a while.”

Right now the pick up team consists of Paul Jackson and his grandson Jackson Monson, Dan and Valerie Nixon, Sarah Cice and her family, and Trenton Levenson. Sorting is done by Karen Rushforth, Anne DeLaney and Roxie Robinson, and delivery is done by James Still and Mike Levenson.

Bev thinks it important to see the big picture. So, for instance, she plans to track the food needed for the FISH Food Bank throughout the year. By discovering the actual needs that can be met by Chapel Hill’s generosity, Bev believes that we can serve our partners year round, particularly at those seasons when supplies often threaten to run out.

The same goes for clothing. Bev is certain that she can put more donations of clothing, toys and household items to use in helpful and meaningful ways. She says that “the clothes that go to the prison and to Trinity—first of all, what we bring is what they have, especially at the prison. And at Trinity,” She adds, “many people come to the clothing closet to get something nice to wear to a job interview. These are people trying to get back into the workforce and you can’t believe how thankful they are to have this resource available to them. They are so excited every month when we bring our donations over there to them. It’s like—this is so wonderful! There aren’t enough words to say thank you!”

As you sort through your closets, remember that clothing that doesn’t fit you anymore, or whose style you’ve outgrown, or whose color you’ve learned doesn’t suit you, makes a great donation. One thing to keep in mind, though, says Bev, is what condition the clothing is in. “If you wouldn’t want to wear it or use it because it’s too worn or stained, the people to whom it goes won’t want to wear it either. It’s important to remember that these people have feelings and a sense of dignity. We need to honor that.”

Thank you, Chapel Hill, for bringing items of food and clothing month after month. You are truly helping those most in need. And if you would like to consider helping further by donating a few hours to pick up, sort, or deliver donations every once in a while, please contact Bev Levenson at 851.5969. Thank you! You make a HUGE difference!

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