Helping Hands Clothing Center Opening This Month

Sherry Becker, Creator of Helping Hands Clothes Center

Sherry Becker has been sorting and folding clothes over the past few weeks in anticipation of the February 21^st opening of HOPE Center Helping Hands at Lincoln School on North 10^th Street.  One of the classrooms at the HOPE Center is being donated as a distribution and drop off site for donated clothing for area families.  Becker has been at work on the project, with the help of area volunteers.

“People from BMS donated some of the support poles for the hanging clothes display and we had help setting up shelving from the high school football team,” she explained recently at Lincoln School.  Becker had spoken with Lori Hammer, Project HOPE director, about using the school as a focal point.  “I just didn’t want to have one church in town bare all the responsibility,” Becker said.

Clothes for All Family Members

She plans to have the center open to the public on the third Saturday of every month, beginning on February 21^st.  “We’ll be open from 11am to 3pm and see how well that works,” she explained.  There is no charge, but families will have limitations put on how many clothing items they can take.  “I’ve watched how some centers in Pueblo operation,” she said, “And we’re going to have a basic form each family can use detailing how many people are taking items.  I’ll be able to use this information when we apply for grant funding,” Becker added.  She said because of the lack of space in the clothes room, people will be staggered for when they can come in to select their clothing choices.  Anyone wishing to donate can drop by Lincoln School from 1pm to 3pm, Monday through Friday.

Donations are Needed for Men and Boys Apparel

She said the donations have been a little one-sided at this point, “We have plenty of items for women and girls, but there’s a lack of clothing for men and boys, so we’re hoping area residents can offer some donations to help out.”  The clothes should all be clean and stain-free and should be right side out when they’re donated.  “We’ve gotten a lot of clothes that are inside-out and it really takes a lot of time to turn all of them around,” she explained.

Becker, who tutors at the Project HOPE program, is also a para-professional employed by Washington Elementary School.  “I just saw a need for a program like this, especially after Mary and Martha stopped their operations.”  She expects to get some clothing donations from Domestic Safety Resource Center shortly and should be ready to open the doors to the Helping Hands Center by February 21^st.  Contact Sherry Becker for more information at 336-7522 or the HOPE Center at 336-7411.

By Russ Baldwin