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Article published Jul 19, 2008 Easing the burden: Church to hold clothing giveaway
By Melanie Tucker of The Daily Times Staff
It will only be a matter of days before children in Blount County trade the lazy days of summer for math homework and spelling tests.
There are school supplies to buy, a need for backpacks and lunch boxes, and of course, school clothes.
Christy Boone, a stay-at-home mom in Maryville, knows how tight a family's budget gets stretched. She has come up with a plan she thinks will help ease those back-to-school burdens.
Next Saturday, at Boone's church, Mountain View Church of Christ (Christian), the doors will be open for any and all to shop. The once empty parsonage is full of clothes for the entire family, along with shoes, purses, scarves, belts, etc. And the best part -- everything is free.
Boone said she was driving one weekend to Gatlinburg and went by a small, country church, similar to Mountain View. They were holding a clothing giveaway right before school started last year. She decided it would be a wonderful project for her church.
This mom of a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old, first approached her minister, Dr. Benic Hampton. Boone's written proposal was submitted to the board of elders and deacons at Mountain View, and she had their blessing.
So since October of last year, Boone and the others in the Mountain View congregation, which totals about 90 on Sunday morning, have collected items for this clothing giveaway. Members have arrived for work days, sorted and displayed all the items and are now ready to serve their community.
Children are focus
There are plenty of adult clothes, both Hampton and Boone said. But if there are those who have children's clothing and shoes to donate, the church will gladly accept them. The greatest need is for new underwear and new socks, shoes and school-age clothing, both new an gently used. One room in the house is set up specifically for children's items.
"We have put the word out and people have responded," Hampton said. "We are just a small, little country church but this has really taken off."
The sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26, at the parsonage, which is located next door to the church on Six Mile Road.
Boone said she and others in the church have distributed 1,958 flyers throughout the community inviting them to the giveaway. She has no way of knowing how many will show up.
"I am just praying that lots of people will show up," Boone said. "I'm praying that it will be a success and we give it all away."
Everything seems to have fallen into place thanks to Boone and her desire to help others and the hard work of other church members.
God at work
The minister said he definitely sees God at work here. He said he develops his sermons a year in advance so he had not intentionally planned to preach on topics like giving unselfishly unto others and loving our neighbors to coincide with the giveaway. Ironically those pre planned sermons have gone right along with the clothing project. It is truly uncanny, Hampton said.
And should there be items left after the giveaway, Boone said a decision will be made to donate them to another charity or keep them to give to families who have been burned out of their homes. Two such families in the community were recently helped by Mountain View.
The clothing project may even become an annual event. "This has been good for this church," its minister said. "We are keeping the focus away from self."