This is a great way to get some new-to-you clothing," said Kris Gray, describing God's Clothing Closet. "You don't have to be 'needy.' Everybody is welcome."

The 25th annual God's Clothing Closet, featuring free clothing, footwear and accessories for people of all ages, will be held on Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23, at Ruhl's Church, 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim. Friday's event will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. by appointment only. On Saturday, the giveaway will be open from 8 to 11 a.m., and no appointment is necessary. To make an appointment for Friday, call the church office at 717-665-3400 and leave a message if after business hours.

Organizers of the event encourage people to consider reserving a shopping time.

"We want to make sure families who need clothes for kids to go back to school make an appointment for Friday," Gray shared. "By Saturday, we still have a lot of stuff, but a lot is picked over."

Along with clothing and accessories, God's Clothing Closet will feature household goods, including dishes, vases, towels and bedding.

A table will be set up featuring free devotional materials and Bibles, and a table of secular books will also be available.

Last year, the event served just over 600 shoppers, up more than 160 from the previous year.

It takes a village to pull off the event, with volunteers donating hundreds of hours of their time to set up and clean up. Volunteers also receive and sort donations year-round at the church.

Donations are accepted any time in a bin outside the church, but donations will also be received specifically for God's Clothing Closet beginning on Monday, Aug. 18. Donations may be left under the covered porch at the church, and labeling the bag with the size and type of clothing is helpful.

"We can always use kids' clothes, especially larger kids' clothes, as well as maternity clothes and extra-large sizes 2X, 3X and 4X in men's and women's clothing," Gray shared. She encourages people seeking specific size clothing to make an appointment to shop on Friday.

Any leftover clothing is donated to Jubilee Ministries in Manheim, and last year, some items were given to the drama club at Manheim Central High School. Shoppers at last year's event also donated six boxes of food for the Manheim Central Food Pantry and $142 in cash to purchase more Bibles.

"This event is a great way to get good, free clothing," said Barb Dunmire, who helps to organize God's Clothing Closet. "We even receive donations that still have the tags on them."

Gray explained that the inspiration for the giveaway came from another service project of the church. For years, church members collected clothing to donate to a mission in Appalachia, but the expense of sending the clothing added up. When Gray started talking to local families that participated in a meal giveaway at the church, she realized the church could make an impact in its own community.

"This is a way we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to the community, a way we can serve," she said. "We feel honored to be able to do it. It's a joy for our church to do it. We enjoy it, and we love all the people who visit."

For more information, visit https://ruhlschurch.org/whats-happening.