Lents Church and Lents Neighborhood Association (LNA) in Portland, Ore., teamed up to launch Lents Community Clothing Closet Day on Jan. 3, 2019, at the Lents Activity Center.
The LNA chairman, Sabina Urdes, applied for a “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” grant from the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and it was approved. The goal was to provide good winter clothing to those in need while helping the environment. Urdis says, “Reusing clothing in our community prevents waste. Discarded but usable clothing has a major negative impact on the environment when it goes into landfill.” About 150 people browsed and took home bags of clothes.
The LNA meets monthly in the Lents Activity Center. When asked if the Lent Church would hold the event in their activity center, the church agreed. Portland Adventist Community Services’ Commodities On Wheels (COW) Mobile Food Pantry was at the event, loaded with food and providing groceries for 48 families. CareOregon signed up nine families for the Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan.
The event made a positive impact on the “reuse and recycle” objective. This reporter made new friends and found a butterfly jacket. East Portland News covered the event with an article showing several pictures, including one that read, “Event organizer Sabina Urdes admires a 'treasure' found by butterfly enthusiast Carol Specht.”
East Portland News covered this event with this photo and caption, "Event organizer Sabina Urdes admires a 'treasure' found by butterfly enthusiast Carol Specht."
Members of the Lents Church, Dave Specht and Vern Henry, help out a shopper of the PACS COW.
