Friday afternoon, numerous volunteers sorted through piles of donations in preparation for the Wardrobe Clothing Distribution Saturday at the River Center in New Castle.
The Wardrobe Clothing Distribution will take place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the River Center, 126 N. Fourth St., in the heart of New Castle’s downtown.
“People can come in and get clothes for themselves, their relatives, kids, other community members, free of charge, just to try and meet that need in rough winters and harder seasons,” River Center Assistant Director Elise Hull said.
Hull added that the River Center hopes the generous number of donations will go toward helping more vulnerable populations, but by no means will anyone get turned away based on their economic status.
“It’s really open to anybody and everybody,” Hull said. “It’s really just to give a helping hand to those that are in need, whatever that looks like in their circumstance.”
Founded in 2009, the River Center operates as a nonprofit organization that puts on outreach programs like the Wardrobe Clothing Distribution.
However, with only four part-time staff members, Hull said without the River Center’s countless community volunteers, such programs, simply put, could not exist – especially this year.
“Hands down, the River Center, we wouldn’t be who we are or able to help who we help without our volunteers,” Hull described. “They help us meet the needs of the community and we wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”
This year, donation bins for Saturday’s event were placed at various elementary schools, including Kathryn Senor and Elk Creek in New Castle in addition to Cactus Valley in Silt. Collection bins were also located at the City Market in New Castle and the River Center itself.
“[The River Center] has a pretty big open basement and it is just chock-full of donations. We have a ton,” Hull elaborated. “We’ve had more [donations] this year than we’ve ever had.”
Hull explained that, Friday afternoon, community volunteers helped sort through the bags of donations and organized them accordingly to make it easy for attendees to navigate come Saturday.
“The distribution is pretty well self ran,” Hull said. “People can sort and find what they need. We are around to help if anyone needs something in particular, but for the most part it’s pretty self sufficient.”
The Wardrobe Clothing Distribution will take place in the River Center’s main common room.
Hull said that any clothes not utilized would go to local charitable organizations such as Lift-Up.
“It still helps the same population that we are targeting, and it’s just a great network to work together,” Hull described of the River Center’s relationship with Lift-Up.
“We have way more donations that we thought we would,” Hull said with a smile.