Hope 21, a ministry offering free clothing and shoes, will collect donations beginning Monday in preparation for reopening in a new location in Oil City next month.
Hope 21, which has been providing free clothing, shoes and fellowship for seven years, had previously set up shop in the National Transit Building. The shop will reopen Feb. 5 in Grace United Methodist Church at 100 Central Ave.
Lisa Swartz, who started Hope 21, said the ministry had been looking for a new home for much of 2023 after moving out of the Transit Building in March and temporarily closing.
The brief closure proved to be a time of rest and next steps, Swartz said, noting that over the summer Hope 21 obtained its 501C3 status and is now an independent organization.
Though Hope 21 was closed for much of 2023, Swartz said the ministry continued to help people in emergency situations, such as house fires.
Swartz said social media posts announcing the reopening of Hope 21 quickly garnered about 15,000 views, far exceeding the reach of anything else posted on the Hope 21 Facebook page.
The ministry is accepting donations of gently used clothing items in all sizes and for all ages along with shoes, boots, coats, accessories, suits and dresses (formal, semi-formal, and casual) as well as new undergarments in original packaging.
Household items won’t be accepted.
Donations may be dropped off at Grace United Methodist Church from 6 to 8 p.m. this Monday and Thursday and on Monday, Jan. 22, as well as from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 20.
Volunteers will be at the side entrance of Grace United Methodist in the corner of Central Avenue and West First Street to accept the donations.
The Hope 21 boutique will open its doors from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 5, and the annual Hope 21 A Dress for You event will be held March 8 and 9.
For the past two years, A Dress For You attracted big crowds of girls looking for formal dresses, shoes and other accessories for free, with no strings attached.
