Customers up at Cheney Clothing Exchange

Things are booming at the Cheney Clothing Exchange - in many ways.

Volunteer coordinator Connie Oakes said the exchange - which is open Wednesdays from noon – 6 p.m. in space on the Third Street side of the Wren Pierson Community Center - usually sees about 50-60 individuals a week. That number seems to be increasing, she added, particularly over this past year, with about an even split in new and returning customers.

"It seems like the number of homeless are increasing," Oakes said. "We have whole families come in and ask about resources."

Items available are free, provided to the exchange through donations, which currently are fairly strong. Oakes said there is no financial screening of those who come in. The only thing the exchange asks is that people sign in and provide the number of people in their family they are picking up items for, information that is used for tracking purposes only.

Oakes said donations have been good so far, with the exchange almost cleaned out of winter-wear items. They have been taking in spring and summer clothing, keeping those items in storage until the winter items are depleted.

The Clothing Exchange has a variety of items for men, women, boys and girls as well as infants. Also available is a supply of bedding, kitchenware such as dishes along with small household items and some books and toys for kids. The staff also gives away produce and breads from the Cheney Food Bank as supplies allow.

Oakes began volunteering at the exchange in 1993 as a college student. When it closed after the Wren Pierson was damaged and then remodeled following the record-breaking snowstorms in 2008-09, she met with local church leaders to get the program restored.

While donations are strong, the exchange is ready to accept more. Oakes said people just need to bring in what they have during open hours where volunteers like her mom, Betty Brundage and Clara Brimlow will sort through the items.

Items that are clean and usable are kept, with the rest sent to Goodwill. Oakes said the reason for this is the Clothing Exchange doesn't have the resources or facilities to clean and repair items, and wants to make sure that when people come in to pick up things, that it's a good experience.

"We want to keep things that are nice and clean so people feel good, they go out with a smile on their face instead of feeling depressed," Oakes said. "We want people to feel welcome."

The Clothing Exchange can be contacted at 235-2327. Besides Wednesdays, the exchange is also open in conjunction with Feed Cheney on the last Monday of each month.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.