A cool snap rolled into the area this week, dropping temperatures into the freezing range Sunday night.
Fortunately, the community was a little more equipped to face the cold following a two-day special clothing giveaway Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 at Kingdom Threads.
The nonprofit clothing (and more) closet behind the First Baptist Church of Dublin fills needs routinely as it is open Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and sometimes draws as many as 60 on a typical week.
Organizer Velvet Earles said those demands have been increasing recently and had already seen as many as 150 bags filled in a single week this past summer.
“You just love seeing the crowd come in and taking what they need,” said Earles. “I like seeing kids having bags and shopping for themselves.”
Volunteer Nicole Guerra agreed it was heartwarming to see people seeking answers find something they need and even picking something up for someone else when they come through the door of the old stone building.
Volunteers worked all day Friday and Saturday for the giveaway, putting out coats, shirts, pants and more on racks and in tubs on the lawn of the Kingdom Threads property.
There were even toys put out on a mat for kids to play while family members shopped. Earles enjoyed watching them and said they’d be free to take those toys home if they wanted to.
The racks and tubs were full Saturday morning, but they had been emptied Friday as local families in need came all day long. Guerra said they had put out 60 boxes full of items the previous day and 75% of the items out when they opened at 9 a.m. were gone by the next hour.
This led to a mid-day restock that was expected to happen again Saturday as families waited patiently for the tape to be cut so they could grab the coats, clothes and blankets to keep them warm this season.
Historically, the giveaway is one day but they expanded it due to demand and the amount of items they had available.
Earles and Guerra said there are needs for hangers (especially for infant clothes) as well as jackets, clothes and blankets.
“We try to cover all the bases,” Earles said. “If they have need, we try to fill it.”
Kingdom Threads is located at 220 E. Live Oak and always accepts donations through the drop-off door on the side of the building.