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Guardian Angel Center offers clothing to families in need |
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Written by Publisher
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Wednesday, 26 August 2009 |
Photo by Brent Addleman
From left are Maggie Schreiber, Alice Dollinger, Rose Ann Kronenwetter and Veronica Sterbank. The four volunteers have been with the Guardian Angel Center since its inception in 1995.
By Brent Addleman
Editor
KERSEY – Since 1995, the Guardian Angel Center has been providing clothing for families in need.
Yesterday afternoon, the organization's building along Main Street in Kersey was filled with residents from all over the region collecting clothing for the start of the new school year.
"We started this in 1995 down at the Guardian Angel Church in Coal Hollow," said Maggie Schreiber, who has been a volunteer since the organization's inception. "We've been in business since then. About four years ago, Gary Carlson decided to build us a building because we had so many people coming to the church and he wanted to do something for the area. He built this building and he pays the utilities. We have to [acknowledge] him for having a place to work."
Guardian Angel Center provides clothing to single-parent families and uses referrals from WIC as well as food stamp and food bank recipients. Those who qualify can get clothing items ranging from undergarments to shoes to jeans and shirts and coats.
"Anybody who needs help can come here," Schreiber said. "They can come five times a year. In August, we give out new sneakers, two pairs of new jeans and two tops and socks and underwear and book bags. Normally, we have used clothing and each child comes in and gets one new outfit. They can get two new pairs of sneakers per year.
"We have some limits, particularly on school clothes, particularly jeans. You can get unlimited other things like sweats. Everybody gets a coat whenever they need it. They get the new sneakers, then they get socks and underwear. They get six pairs of socks and/or underwear. Somebody helps them with new clothing. We have a room for them to try on clothing. It works pretty well."
So far in the month of August, the center has helped over 700 children and 325 families.
The organization receives clothing in the form of private donations.
"It is all private donations," Schreiber said. "We are a United Way agency. We have received some grants recently. Up until two years ago, we were completely on private donations. We received a beautiful grant from two years ago from Ronald McDonald. We are in the United Way every year."
The organization has benefited from grants from the Elk County Community Foundation, Emporium Foundation, Johnsonburg Community Chest, United Way, Stackpole Hall, Ronald McDonald and Highmark Healthy High 5.
For James Spiers of Reynoldsville, who was at the center with Crystal Rafferty of DuBois, who works for Clearfield-Jefferson Mental Health, there is no better place to get clothes.
"It's a good place to go if you need stuff for school," Spiers said. "I got running shoes, shorts for gym."
For Rafferty, the service the organization provides goes beyond just offering clothing.
"It's a wonderful place," Rafferty said. "It helps a lot of families in need, especially now when money is really difficult to come up with for school clothes."
The center had a steady flow of people throughout the day, with many coming from as far away as Jefferson County.
"Today, we've had people here from as far away as Punxsutawney," Schreiber said. "We never had any guidelines as far as the areas we serve. We serve the five-county area of Jefferson, Clearfield, Elk, Cameron and McKean. Most of them are pretty appreciative."
The center is open 10 months out of the year, but recipients are limited to the number of times they can utilize the organization's services.
"People can come here five times a year," Schreiber said. "We are open the first and third Tuesday of every month through December. We close January and February. We are open March through May and we have a big garage sale in June. We re-open in July for kids going back to school."
For Schreiber it is more than putting clothes on people's backs. There is also a special degree of camaraderie that has grown from the center.
"The biggest thing that makes this so great is the volunteers are fantastic," Schreiber said. "Everyone is just so fantastic. They just wanna help. All of our workers here are volunteers, nobody gets paid for anything. All of the contributions are local."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 October 2009 )
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