A fresh bag of menB次元官网网址檚 clothing is hung up on a rack in the basement of Our Place. Within seconds, a trio of men converge on the rolling wardrobe.
Such is the case when the stores of clothing at the Pandora Avenue facility run short.
B次元官网网址淩ight now weB次元官网网址檙e short of absolutely everything,B次元官网网址� laments Grant McKenzie, communications director at Our Place.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of times in December, weB次元官网网址檒l get truckloads coming from charity drives and things like that, and that helps us get through the winter, because itB次元官网网址檚 wet and itB次元官网网址檚 cold, and keeping people dry is very important. But this year we didnB次元官网网址檛 get those big truckloads and it ended up depleting every piece of clothing that we have, which makes it very difficult for people to find something that fits,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檒l see people that are wearing shoes that are too small, or pants that are too tight or too big, and theyB次元官网网址檙e holding them up with a string. So weB次元官网网址檙e really short of everything, the whole gamut.B次元官网网址�
While womenB次元官网网址檚 clothing of all kinds is always gratefully accepted, menB次元官网网址檚 clothing is particularly in high demand and short supply. Unlike women, who are more prone to switch their wardrobe with the changing seasons, many men wear their jeans, t-shirts and outerwear, like rain jackets, until theyB次元官网网址檙e getting threadbare before throwing them away, McKenzie says.
B次元官网网址淪o if youB次元官网网址檝e lost a lot of weight, or gained a lot of weight and you donB次元官网网址檛 need those clothes, it would be fantastic if the men would jump into their closets and bring some of that stuff down.B次元官网网址�
There is no middleman when clothes are donated to Our Place B次元官网网址� volunteers and staff sort them and put them out for people to take away free.
After picking up some items, a man stops to say how much he appreciates the media letting the public know of the need. Adds McKenzie B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渨hen people get something like that, a pair of pants that fit, it can change their whole demeanor.B次元官网网址�
Always a need, but especially during the wet winter months, is the need for new socks and underwear. As people on the street and some others in poverty have limited access to laundry services, Our Place hands out upwards of 100 pairs of socks and underwear a day.
On the subject of staying dry, McKenzie said one volunteer nurse who used to be head of surgery locally told him that the number of foot amputations is down dramatically, largely due to the foot inspection protocol at Our Place. With less people suffering debilitating foot rot, it prevents other conditions such as diabetes to cause other problems.
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Donations of clothing are accepted 24/7 at Our Place, 919 Pandora Ave. For more information, visit ourplacesociety.com.
