Brockville, Ont. outreach group receives clothing donation from local retailer
An outreach program through a Brockville, Ont. church has received a boost thanks to a local business offering gently used clothing for those in need.
St. Johns United Church used to hold free breakfasts once a month before 2020, but the pandemic changed how they could do things, now offering bagged lunches.
"We make up about 40-45 bags once a month at the end of the month," outreach committee member Elaine Kennedy said.
"We have egg salad, tuna, a turkey salad and ham and cheese seems to be quite popular," Kennedy noted. "In each of those bags are a drink box, a fruit, a sandwich and some cookies and some sweets."
The outreach committee says on average 40 to 50 people use the program, and now they have something new to offer those who visit.
"We were contacted by a local retail store and they said, 'Listen, we've got some extra stuff that we really don't want to put into a landfill or we don't want to get rid of, can you use it?'" said church council member David Dargie.
"Of course, our answer was absolutely, and this started back in the fall of 2022 and we've been carrying on with each one of these lunches," he added.
Boxes of clothing that may have been returned, or have slight flaws like missing buttons, are now given a second chance at life.
"Right now, we've got everything from winter boots, winter gloves, warm socks are a big seller, I just saw someone take away three pairs of socks today," Dargie said.
"We've got warm coats, we've got toques, we've got scarfs, anything to do with the winter," he added, saying the retailer has dropped off at least seven boxes. "We've got a couple of boxes ready to go for the spring as well, that's going to be summer clothing."
David Dargie (left), outreach committee member Elaine Kennedy (centre) and Ann Faurschou at St. John's United Church in Brockville, Ont. on Saturday. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
A steady stream of people walked through the doors of the church on Saturday morning, picking out new gloves or boots, and thanking members for the generosity.
"They're always happy to have a nice lunch and very thankful and they often share a little bit about themselves and the warm clothing, of course, is very appreciated," Kennedy said.
Some of the clothing being offered by the outreach program at St. John's United Church in Brockville, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
If there are any items left at the end of the day, the group makes sure they also receive a home.
"We're going to take this up to the warming centre and we're going to take it to other places where both the food and the clothing can be distributed," Dargie said.
"There is so much of the retail clothing that goes into landfill, it's just ridiculous the amount that's thrown away," he noted. "It's not going to sit in a box in the basement of St. John's United Church, it's going to be put to use."
"We're doing our little part," added Kennedy. "I'm very appreciative of all the goodwill that we have in this community. It's a wonderful community."
"I've worked a long time in Brockville in terms of charitable organizations and non-profits," Dargie said. "It's just another example of how Brockville gives."
The local business offering the gently used clothing did not want to be named.
The outreach program runs the last Saturday of the month until March at the St. John's United Church.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. President Joe Biden to meet Trudeau, address Parliament today
After two years in office, U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, and is waking up to a full day of events in the capital.

Ontario crypto king kidnapped, tortured in an attempt to get millions in ransom, documents say
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Restaurants and bars brace for biggest alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
Utah bans kids from accessing social media during evening hours, without parent consent
Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don't have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive platforms.
Protests continue in France; King Charles III visit postponed
Protesters angry at French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms continued with scattered actions on Friday, as the unrest across the country led officials to postpone a planned state visit by King Charles III.
Make sure to check your grocery bill otherwise you may pay more: Survey
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
Asteroid to hurtle past Earth closer than the moon this weekend
An asteroid discovered just last week will pass closer to the Earth than the orbit of the moon this weekend, an occurrence so rare it happens only once in a decade, according to NASA.
Opposition parties affirm call for interference inquiry, amid questions over MP Han Dong
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
Eastern Ont. mayor wants more help from feds to manage influx of asylum seekers, supports STCA renegotiation
As the federal government looks to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., an eastern Ontario mayor says his city needs more help from Ottawa to deal with the influx of asylum seekers arriving through irregular crossings like Roxham Road.