[email protected]
Newcastle, NSW

God's Closet

Caring for the little ones

For the past two years, more than 200 families from Tweed Heads, NSW, have been clothing their children without having to compromise their already tight budget. “Kids grow very fast. You buy one thing today and in a month’s time they have grown out of it. For many families that is a huge waste of money,” explains Constance Haupt. She is the coordinator of God’s Closet, an Adventist Community Services initiative that collects and distributes used clothing for children.

The idea for the project was born just over two years ago, however initially Constance was reluctant. Even though she genuinely wanted to do something for her community, she knew how much work it would involve. “Yet I decided to go for it, and God has been taking all the obstacles out of the way,” she says explaining that this is not her project, but God’s.

There is a lot of work involved before every shopping event. “We ask for donations on the Facebook Page, and I’ve got a bin at my local Day Care Centre. We sort [the clothes] about a week before the event and put them in boxes by different sizes. Once we’ve sorted through the clothes, we meet on a Saturday night before the event to lay all the tables and clothing out,” explains Erin Haupt, one of the volunteers.

The project is operated by a team formed entirely of volunteers. This means that the God’s Closet is a non-profit initiative, and with only a $1 entry fee, families can come and select from clothes on tables sorted by size that range from 0000 to 14 years.

More than clothes

David and his family went to a recent shopping event and on top of the clothing they purchased, he and his family also benefited from other services provided. “We came along on a Sunday morning, for God’s Closet, and filled a big bag of clothes for 1 dollar, and my kids had a little check up with the doctor and the dentist.”

Since the beginning of 2019, the project has partnered with Health in Kind, a not-for-profit organisation that provides wholistic healthcare support to communities in need. With the partnership, every free shopping event also offers free health services such as GP consultation, dental checks, health education, blood pressure, hearing checks, mental health support and naturopath services by health and medical professionals.

Sanitarium Health Food Company have also been supporting the project by donating cereal and breakfast drinks. “They send us donations of Weetbix and Up&Go for each event so that we can provide some food for the families too,” says Constance.

As a nurse and a Christian, Constance has a lengthy background in caring for people in need, and this is what God’s Closet is all about. “It takes a lot of money to clothe children. When you’ve got multiple children and you’re struggling financially, it just takes a little of the load off. So we are here to meet the needs of our community,” says Erin.

There are currently three God’s Closet projects functioning in New South Wales. If you would like to contribute with donations or by volunteering, the God’s Closet team can be reached through their Facebook Page @GodsClosetTweedHeads or you can contact Adventist Community Services at nnsw.adventist.org.au/acs.

Juliana Muniz

Newstart Juice - Raymond Terrace

Raymond Terrace Mission Adventist Church have embarked on a mission to improve the health of residents in Raymond Terrace. Late last year, RTM Church - which is located in the centre of town - opened a juice bar dedicated to promoting a wholistic way of living. “Newstart Juice” provides fantastic combinations of fruit and vegetable […]

Read More
God's Closet

Caring for the little ones For the past two years, more than 200 families from Tweed Heads, NSW, have been clothing their children without having to compromise their already tight budget. “Kids grow very fast. You buy one thing today and in a month’s time they have grown out of it. For many families that […]

Read More
If You Could Pick An Age

If you could pick an age to return to in life, what age would you pick? I sit here realising that my 60th birthday is not that far away. While I appreciate the experiences, knowledge and wisdom that comes with age, my back hurts when I get out of bed in the morning and my […]

Read More
Sharing Healing One Workshop At A Time

Melinda Archer's Story Melinda Archer is a certifies Community Health Educator who is passionate about empowering people to live longer and stronger through diet and lifestyle choices. She has been a ‘Plant-based Ambassador’ for 10+ years, spreading the word on healthy- eating through Plant-based Cooking Classes, Grocery Store Tours, Kitchen Workshops and Vegan Cafe Nights. […]

Read More
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

map-markerenvelope linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram