Children’s Chest open this Saturday for summer ‘sack sale’
The Children’s Chest, a mission project of the First United Methodist Church of Breckenridge’s WinGS group, will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21. The thrift clothing shop is located in the old white church on the corner of McAmis and West Williams, behind FUMC.
As the shop transitions from summer to winter, they are having a “sack sale,” offering a bag of summer clothes for $1. They have a wide selection of summer tops and shorts available.
“As soon as we finish the sack sale, we will put up the remaining summer stuff and put out the winter clothes,” said Ann Heckart, a volunteer at the Children’s Chest. The winter clothes will be available during the shop’s November sales day.
Regular-priced items cost 25 cents for most clothing pieces, 50 cents for pairs of shoes, and $1 for jeans and jackets. The shop offers both boys and girls clothing, as well as a few men’s and women’s clothing items. There are some dresses and suits, as well as belts and ties.
This month, the shop has some Halloween costumes and Halloween-themed shirts and outfits for kids available.
“We also have some household items, garage sale type stuff,” Heckart said. “And, while the parents shop, the kids can play in our toy room. The kids all leave with a free stuffed animal.”
For those in need of toiletries, the thrift shop has a few sample-sized items available for free. Additionally, a few books are offered for no charge.
The shop accepts donations, with an emphasis on children’s clothing. Donors may leave items at the back door of the shop. Donated items are taken into the workroom, where volunteers sort the clothing and organize everything by size and type. Stained or torn clothing is not offered for sale, and some items that are not suitable for the Children’s Chest are passed along to other charitable groups.
Heckart said everything is sorted twice, and things like zippers on jackets are checked to make sure they are in working order.
Additionally, the Children’s Chest provides opportunity for volunteers to help out. Those who would like to volunteer, including high school students needing to earn community service credit, may just show up on the days the shop is open. “We’ll put them to work,” Heckart said.
The Children’s Chest is open the third Saturday of each month during the school year. “We’re open to anyone who wants to come in and shop,” she said.
All of the proceeds raised through the Children’s Chest are used by the WinGS organization – Women in God’s Service – to support the mission work of FUMC-Breckenridge.
Story by Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan, Photos by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: Ann Heckart, a volunteer for the First United Methodist Church’s Children’s Chest clothing shop, shows off some of the items currently on sale. The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21, offering a “sack sale,” with summer clothes available for $1 per sack. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
