|
Favorite Links and Other Opportunities
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COUNTY CLOTHING CENTER
|
|
COUNTY CLOTHING CENTER
3377 St Rt 59
Ravenna, OH 44266
Tel: 330-296-0503
Hours: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Monday through Friday
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Tuesday & Thursday
Program Mgr.: Cyndi Baughman-Underwood www.portagefamilies.org
Remember to take all of your good reusable clothing to the County Clothing Center on Route 59 between Kent and Ravenna. Good reusable clothing is sorted and sized and displayed for redistribution to all residents. Clothing center provides duds for free.
Consider these real life situations:
A young woman removes clothes from hangers and places her selections on the counter for the clerk to put in shopping bags.
A man finds the perfect pair of pants for his job interview.
Two pre-schoolers gaze at the advertisement for October's Black Cat Attire.
This isn't the mall or some large department store, however. It's the Portage County Clothing Center located on Route 59 in Ravenna, and its volunteers have been helping people find the right clothing for the right occasion since 1995. What really makes it special is the clothing is all free.
"We do a lot of fascinating and interesting things," said Cyndi Baughman-Underwood, director of the center, where an Outstanding Community Service commendation from the Ohio Senate hangs on the wall.
"We don't charge, but we do set up limitations on what people can take, depending on what we have and on the season," she said. The center does accept monetary donations for their clothing.
Baughman-Underwood explained the center originated with the help of 13 area church groups who had been giving out clothing to the needy. Presently more than 300 volunteers from churches and service groups man the center, which is open from 10am-2pm Monday through Friday and 6pm-8pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
"We realized there was a bigger need," she said, concerning the necessity for the churches to find a central, permanent location. "We were also dealing with the tear-down and set-up hassle."
Lois Little, a volunteer from the Union Baptist Church in Kent, has been working every Tuesday since the center opened.
"You see so many people come through here who have nothing," Little said. "I get to make their day by helping them get something nice. People don't bring junk here."
The center is set up on a recycling basis, taking in over 26,000 pounds of clothing a month, Baughman-Underwood said. She added that roughly 15,000 pounds "go back out the door." What the center doesn't use goes to mission projects elsewhere.
"We have so much poundage coming in the door that we can afford to be picky," she said.
And picky they are.
"The volunteers rough sort the donated items into piles that they would wear or their children would wear," Baughman-Underwood explained. She said volunteers check the quality of the clothing in the sorting room, again in the hanging room, and again as it is placed on the racks or on a wall display.
The center has strict rules about what it will accept. Signs outside the store tell donors not to leave anything during closed hours because the center won't take it. The center also doesn't accept broken appliances, furniture or toys.
"If you're done with it and don't want it, we'll take it," Baughman-Underwood said. "We even get brand new items from 13 different stores. They give us things that are out of season or out of style."
Naomi Muster, a volunteer from the First United Methodist Church in Ravenna, said she's seen people wearing clothing that's come from the center, and it looks better than what she wears sometimes.
"I enjoy seeing people smile when they find things that fit them, and they feel like a million dollars. Cyndi has a knack for helping people find what they want," Muster said.
Besides providing everyday clothing needs, the center has a business attire section, a "Something Special Shop," and seasonal offerings during Halloween and Christmas.
"Agencies such as the Human Services Program or Even Start will send over a client who needs clothing for a job interview. We'll help that person get nice clothes for the interview and for the job," Baughman-Underwood said.
The "Something Special Shop" is a unique area of the shop that contains clothing for weddings, funerals, baptisms and other formal functions. Fittings for these clothes require an appointment, but the time volunteers spend helping people select clothing for special occasions is well worth it, Baughman-Underwood said.
She proudly displayed a Record-Courier wedding announcement of a bride wearing a dress that came from the center.
"What do people do when they're done with clothes like these?" she asked, noting that most of the time formal wear ends up in the back of a closet or in an attic.
"We have about 23 appointments per month for people who need clothes for special events."
With Halloween approaching, the center is gearing up for its Black Cat Attire parade on Oct. 13.
"It's appropriately on Friday the 13th," Baughman-Underwood said of the "parade" in which the volunteers model the Halloween costumes that will be available for both adults and children. She added that the center has a volunteer who fixes costumes, mixes and matches items, and ends up with 200-300 costumes a year.
"It's a lot of work on the volunteers to get costumes ready," she said, but added it was important to provide this service. "You can put down, return the costume, and get your money back."
At Christmas time, the center holds "Santa's Closet," where children 10 and under can choose up to three gifts for family members, Baughman-Underwood said.
The credit for what the center offers goes to the volunteers, Baughman-Underwood said.
"They keep giving and giving," she said. "They're very down-to-earth and easy-going. We have 23 regular workgroups who man the place, but we could use a couple more groups on Tuesday evenings."
Sue Harvey, of the Kent United Methodist Church, has been volunteering "for a couple years" and does the wall displays in the center about every six weeks.
"I brought my son and daughter-in-law in, and they couldn't believe the number of needy people we help," she said. "It's a worthy cause, and I enjoy helping others."
Another volunteer, Judy Richards, of the First United Methodist Church in Ravenna, said she never realized the working poor would have to have nice clothing for work.
"I helped a fellow who really seemed down on his luck," she said. "I felt good helping him find the right pair of pants for work."
|
For More Information on Related Topics:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
The Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management (DSIWM) is charged with: encouraging waste reduction and recycling statewide; overseeing local solid waste planning efforts; regulating solid waste landfill, composting, incinerator and transfer facilities; regulating the generation, transportation and treatment of infectious waste; regulating construction and demolition debris landfills; and regulating the transportation, collection, storage, disposal, beneficial use and recovery of scrap tires. DSIWM also oversees state funded scrap tire cleanup efforts.
DSIWM is comprised of six offices working together to accomplish the Agency's mission. Central Office, managed by the Division Chief with assistance by senior management, is primarily responsible for strategic direction; information management; solid waste planning; legislative analyses; rule-making; policy-making; technical assistance; educating/training customers; managing the funding (state disposal fees) and some project work. DSIWM also has staff in each of Ohio EPA's five District Offices. These staff work under the direction of the District Chief and are primarily responsible for site specific project work such as: reviewing permit applications; providing technical assistance to health departments and other customers; overseeing inspectors in approved local health departments and providing direct oversight of DSIWM-regulated facilities in areas where the local health department is unable to provide this service.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
The Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention (DRLP) is responsible for implementing statewide waste reduction, recycling, recycling market development and litter prevention programs. In addition, DRLP assists in implementing Ohio's Solid Waste Management Plan and encourages Ohioans to reduce waste, recycle materials and buy recycled-content products.
Through the Recycle, Ohio! program, the division develops model recycling programs designed to establish new and expand existing recycling initiatives throughout Ohio. In addition, the DRLP coordinates activities for the Interagency Recycling Market Development Workgroup. The group is responsible for developing Ohio's recycling market development plan which addresses how to strengthen markets for recycled materials in the state.
Other Environmental Topics
Classroom Materials
Project Learning Tree
Project WET
Windows on Waste .pdf format
Ohio Endangered Species
Soil Concepts Imagination Book .pdf format
Geological Survey Educational Resources
Port-A-Park Outdoor Activity Guide .pdf format
Fishes of Ohio Pictures
Fish Identification Illustrations
Aquatic Life History Notes
Animal Life History Notes
Ohio's Butterflies Pictures
Ohio's Birds Pictures
Ohio's Reptiles Pictures
Ohio's Amphibians Pictures
Ohio's Trees Pictures
Ohio's Wildflowers Pictures
Take Pride, Ohio! Outstanding Educators
Flint-Ohio's Official Gemstone
White Tail Wonders Article
Meet Big Red Article
Black Bears are Back Article
What is a Watershed? Maps
Kids Stuff - Activities and Games
Wildlife
Can you find 10 wild animals in this puzzle?
Cut and paste creatures in a wetland
Can you identify the wild animal tracks in this forest?
Match the track with the animal
Bird Beak Identification
Wildlife Identification
Color Me Batty Wildlife Research
Fish Fun Math & Identification
Litter Kills Environmental
Web of Life Environmental
Bird Identification Quiz
Deer Herd Dynamics Mathematics
Bird Word Find Word Puzzle
Fish Facts Fish Biology
Wildlife Research Imagine Find
What a Wild Crossword Puzzle
Wild Scavenger Hunt
Is Your School A Wild School Site?
Recycling
Lucky the Lady Message
Lucky Ladybug Seven Friends
and Seven Sources of Litter
Lucky the Lady Bug Activity Book .pdf format
Parks
Parks Pal Activity Book
Parks Pal Fishing Fun Puzzle
Watching Wildlife Activity
Looking into Caves Activity
Turtle Words Puzzle
Looking for Spiders Activity
EcoPuzzle Puzzle
Outdoor Journal for Kids
Forestry
Smokey Bear Coloring Sheet
Portage County Programming and Services
Click here for a complete description of other services available for Portage County residents.
|
|
