Back-to-school clothes giveaway

CLEVELAND - Any parent or grandparent who needs back to school clothes for their children is invited to Caring Hands Ministries' Kids Clothes Day Friday from 4-7 p.m.

Kid Clothes Day will be held at Faith Outreach Church in White County Industrial Park this year. The church is at 48 Technology Park Drive in Cleveland.

Those coming are asked to bring a box or bag to hold the clothing they pick out.

This is the tenth year for the program. Last year more than 370 children and adults from Lumpkin, Dawson, White, Hall, Habersham and the surrounding areas got gently used hand me down clothes, new school supplies and other needed items.

This year with the economy the way it is, Caring Hands is expecting even more people to come.

"This is something where anyone can make a difference," Caring Hands President Charles Fleming explained. "Children grow so any child can need new things for school and any child can be a source of still nice things that another child can use."

The Clothes Day project got its start thank to a 14-year-old who noticed that a little boy was getting on the school bus wearing pink flip flops many sizes too big for him. The other kids made fun of him. She asked why he wore them and found out that he and his younger brother had come to stay with their grandma in an emergency a few weeks before. The grandmother was hard pressed to keep food on the table but she made it feed two more. She knew the boy had to wear shoes to be able to go to school and since she had no money to buy them she gave him the only pair of hers she thought he might be able to keep on his feet.

The 14-year-old and her friends took their lunch money and bought him shoes and socks then asked if Caring Hands could help some more. Funds were very limited but the founders asked people at their church to help and they did.



The next year Caring Hands learned that funds designated by the state to help children with school-related needs were released in November even though school started in August and Kids Clothes Day became a regular event. Every year before Clothes Days started Caring Hands and other helping ministries and agencies were flooded with calls the month after school started from families who had spent rent and utility money getting clothes their children needed for school and were facing shut offs or evictions. After Clothes Days began Caring Hands and other helping places found those calls dropped by over 50 percent .

Caring Hands Ministries is a volunteer driven 501c3 nonprofit that was formed in 1995.

Directions
From Cleveland take Hwy 129 South, go through the traffic light at Westmoreland Rd. Go about 2 miles, turn left into White County Industrial Park at Community Bank and Trust, pass the driveways by the bank and turn right onto Technology Park Drive. You will see signs for Faith Outreach.

From Gainesville take Hwy 129 (Cleveland Hwy) north, pass Quillian s Corners and continue straight on 129 into White County. Go about 2 miles, turn right at Community Bank and Trust into White County Industrial Park. Pass the driveways by the bank and turn right onto Technology Park Drive. You will see signs for Faith Outreach.

From Clarkesville Take Hwy 115 towards Cleveland and turn left onto Hwy 254, Follow 254 to Hwy 129 and turn right. at Community Bank and Trust into White County Industrial Park. Pass the driveways by the bank and turn right onto Technology Park Drive. You will see signs for Faith Outreach.

From Cornelia Take hwy 365 South turn right on Hwy 52. Stay on 52 to Hwy 129. Turn right. Continue straight on 129 into White County. Go about 2 miles, turn right at Community Bank and Trust into White County Industrial Park. Pass the driveways by the bank and turn right onto Technology Park Drive. You will see signs for Faith Outreach.

From Lumpkin County Take Hwy 52 East. Stay straight and the number changes to Hwy 115, At Cleveland Square turn right onto Hwy 129 S go through the traffic light at Westmoreland Rd. Go about 2 miles, turn left into White County Industrial Park at Community Bank and Trust, pass the driveways by the bank and turn right onto Technology Park Drive. You will see signs for Faith Outreach.