HOW FREE SHOPPING DAYS WORK

Free Shopping Days are held about every 3 months at each Closet location. These events are open to anyone who needs a little help while in financial crisis.

In the months between our shopping events, donations given to The Closet are sorted and priced. Most are marked between $1 and $5. This takes a lot of work (see our VOLUNTEER pages) and it’s worth every minute!

The day before the Free Shopping event the clothing and other items are displayed like you would see in a department store. There are areas for clothing, shoes, accessories and household items.

We feel it is important for our shoppers to have a choice on the items they take home so we give our guests “Closet Dollars”. The amount they receive is based on the number of people in their family. Typically, this is around $25 per person with a cap of $75. In the winter months, each person is welcome to have 1 coat per family member in addition to his or her “Closet Dollars”. Giving each shopper a dollar amount to spend and the opportunity to choose what they “buy” encourages them to budget their money and make wise decisions about what they take.

Due to the number of families we serve in a day, there is often a waiting period before they are allowed to shop. While they are waiting, everyone is given the opportunity to speak and pray with a church ministry team member. Occasionally other ministries will have tables set up to share information about their programs.

When it’s time to shop, guests are allowed approximately 30 minutes. Once finished, our volunteers will help get them through checkout while offering a smile and words of encouragement…and sometimes a hug!

CLICK HERE to see who qualifies to shop at our special events.