Community Christian Church in Frankfort is hosting the “Fall Blessing Day Giveaway” on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1944 S. Jackson St. in Frankfort to provide community members with essentials for the winter months.
Robin Warren, Sunday School Director and volunteer, commented that the idea for a “Blessing Closet” was derived from a similar event at a church in Rossville, and the church elected to bring the “free garage sale” to Frankfort to continue the blessings during the autumn season as well as involve the church’s congregation with the community surrounding them in Frankfort.
“Our congregation is fairly small, and we’ve lost a lot of people due to just death or COVID, so we thought we should do something that would really go out there in the community,” Warren said. “It’s really just several of us just kind of getting together to put on a free garage sale for anybody that’s in need or just needs something.”
Warren expressed that any community member may attend and select items from the vast array of donations without any cost. So far, the church has received household goods, housewares, a few microwaves, pillows, blankets, coats and shoes. However, the largest selection of items at the event will be baby’s, children’s, women’s and men’s clothing that has been donated by members of the church.
“We have a lot of clothing because that’s kind of what we thought to have going into winter,” Warren said. “There’s everything you need for a house, so there’s quite a few things. We already know there’s a lot of stuff because the office is full.”
Warren stated that regardless of a community member’s financial situation, they should attend to browse the selection as the event does not place restrictions on who can receive the items.
“If they can’t afford it or can afford it, that’s fine,” Warren said. “There’s no cost. It’s free. Everything’s free.”
Warren commented that this year’s donations and volunteers have mainly been selected from the congregation at Community Christian Church, but the team has already begun looking forward to future years where they may open the donation and volunteer process to include more from the community.
“It’s mostly congregational members that are setting it up and working at it,” Warren said. “The donations have really come from people in the church and their families. We haven’t really gone out to have anybody bring stuff in, and we don’t have a whole lot of room. We’re already thinking we’re going to be bursting at the seams.”
Items remaining after the event will be relocated to help Center Township and the Home for the Night Emergency Shelter, One80 Recovery Resources, Parkview County Home, Boys and Girls Club of Clinton County and more. However, the organizers encouraged community members to select as many items as they need to further ensure that the items find the perfect home.
“We want to place it somewhere where it’s needed,” Warren. “That’s why we’re trying to reach out to people in the community first and let them have at it first, and then if we have more, which we hope we don’t have, but if we do have, then we have plenty of people that will just pack it up in sections and boxes, and they’ll go out and distribute it to where they tell us that they need it.”
Warren concluded by encouraging community members to attend to browse the selection as well as explore the church and meet the church family that has been fostered at Community Christian Church.
“There’s a lot of nice things here,” Warren said. “They can knock out two things. If they don’t have a church, they can come to church with us. If they do, then they can just come and shop. I think it’ll be good.”
The event will kick off at 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1944 S. Jackson St. in Frankfort at the Community Christian Church. All community members are welcome to attend and shop at the free garage sale for “Fall Blessing Day.”