Donated clothing items on display at ReStored 61, a clothing ministry organized by the Hope Center. The organization is putting on “Fashion for Hope,” a fundraising event being held Saturday, May 11 at 1 p.m.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson)
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“Everything and everyone has value.”
That is a leading sentiment of ReStored 61, a clothing ministry organized by the Hope Center.
On Saturday, organizers will be putting on “Fashion for Hope,” a fashion show fundraising event that will highlight clothing items available at the Hope Center.
“We had such a good experience at our first run of it last year, that we wanted to have the opportunity to do it again,” said Becky Bolt, director of administration at the Hope Center. “We think it’s a great event for the community.”
Local models will take to the runway to show off clothes from ReStored 61’s in-house boutique that holds all of the gently used clothing items donated by members of the community.
“Two years ago we had the Clothes Closet but then we reworked it to create more of a boutique style store. We call it ReStored 61 after the Bible verse Isaiah 61,” said Bolt. The verse says, “To provide for those who grieve—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
For the clothing ministry, the boutique is a way to “show the value of charity and donation” as well as “assign value to the items” people can receive.
“We used to give stuff away, but now we don’t just hand the clothes out for free,” Bolt added. “We have a system in place where people can get them but they also have a (price) attached to them for those who want to buy.”
People can register with the Hope Center through CharityTracker, a web application used for managing data, to get clothes from the boutique. Those who bring in a donation can get 30 free credits that go toward shopping for the clothes.
“To get more credits, people can donate more items, volunteer their time and just help out,” Bolt said. “This way there’s value to the items we have as well as the people who help to make this all possible.”
All of the clothes that come into the Hope Center get processed by the volunteers and eventually end up on racks at ReStored 61. Bolt said the clothing items available are varied across the seasons, sizes and ages. They also have accessories such as handbags and jewelry.
“We have a little bit of everything,” she said. “The only thing we have a hard time with stocking is underwear.”
To help remedy this, ReStored 61 isn’t charging admission to “Fashion for Hope,” but they are encouraging those attending to bring a donation of still-packaged children’s underwear or socks.
The event is May 11 at 1 p.m. at the Hope Center, 212 Chestnut St.
Those interested in registering for ReStored 61 or to volunteer can contact the Hope Center at 937-303-4209.