Lilies of the Field Community Clothes Closet Ministry

Hours of Operation
Tuesdays, 11am - 1 pm
Thursdays, 4-6 pm
​1st and 3rd Saturdays, 9-11 am

About the Ministry

The Church of the Cross PC(USA) Lilies of the Field Community Clothes Closet offers gently used and new clothing items free of charge to men, women, and children in need who live in the Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg areas. The clothes closet supplies free of charge. In connection with the PC(USA) Matthew 25 initiative, this ministry is based on Matthew 25:40, “…Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 
​
The theme for our Community Clothes Closet “Lilies of the Field” comes from Matthew 6:28-29 “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you…”

How It Started
Our congregation has been impacted by the pandemic, as have all people in our world.  During this time, we uncovered a resiliency within our DNA which has turned our attention outward, with a focus on justice work in our community.  In this work, we discovered the Holy Spirit fueling our already ingrained desire to serve those in need with the justice work of Matthew 25:36, “I was naked and you gave me clothing…”  With the Holy Spirit guiding us, we recognize we have the space, the energy, and volunteers eager to do this ministry of providing gently used and new clothing for people who cannot afford to purchase clothes. 
Through this ministry we pray we will bring hope, love, and healing into people’s lives as we work to build up our community by building up people who need a bit of help.  We believe helping the community helps us all, even as it encourages growth in our own faith and trust of God’s presence in the everydayness of life. ​We believe faith is a verb, meant to be engaged in meaningful ways.  Faith which can move mountains is no good unless we witness in real-life, tangible ways how our faith shapes our lives and our care for others.
This project is a purposeful way to live hospitality, friendliness, and faithful care for our fellow humans as we live our Church of the Cross mission to:​
​“Welcome All ~ Share God’s Love ~ Offer Hope …all in Jesus’ Name.”

​How to Volunteer
We certainly need Community Volunteers to help with receiving patrons and washing / folding / sorting / hanging clothes.  If you are looking for somewhere to volunteer a few hours of your time each month to help those in need, the Lilies of the Field Community Clothes Closet welcomes your presence and your help. ​Volunteers do need to go through an application process which includes providing information, having a background check completed, and references checked.  If you are interested in volunteering, please call our Office at 847-885-1199 and the necessary information will be emailed or USPS mailed directly to you.  Upon return of the required information, you will be ready to begin!

Donation Opportunities

For the comfort of our patrons, we ask you to please note a few things…We ask all donations be free of pet or animal hair due to other’s allergies. If items you wish to donate have been in the closet/drawer for a while, it is greatly appreciated if you do a quick wash before donating them.  BRING DONATIONS to Church of the Cross during:  regular Sunday hours (8 am-12 noon), or weekday hours (Tues-Fri 10 am-2 pm), or call the Church Office @ 847-885-1199 to have them picked up.

Men’s / Women’s / Children’s Clothing ~ gently, gently used:

• Children’s sizes K-6th grades, plus infant onesies and pajamas
• Long sleeve shirts
• Sweatpants
• Blue jeans
• Jogger pants with ankle elastic
• Hoodies (neutral writing or insignias)
• T-shirts (neutral writing or insignias)
• Winter hats/mittens/gloves
• Jackets/winter jackets (long/wool/fur coats are generally too heavy and not as warm)
• Sleep pants/tops/pajamas (no robes or fancy pajamas)
• Dress clothes (nice blouses/tops/dress pants/dresses/dress scarves/suits/trousers)
• Belts

​ Shoes ~ gently used:

• Winter boots
• Sneakers (clean with no holes or tears)
• Leather shoes
• Dress shoes (no women’s high heels) 

Other items:

• Cash donations (please make check payable to COTC with “clothes closet” in the notes or Donate online on our website)
• Slipper socks which have been laundered and show minimal wear
• Hangers
• Backpacks
• Blankets
• New pillows
• Sleeping bags (tall size)
• Disposable ponchos
• Hand warmers
• Toiletries and feminine hygiene products
• Laundry pods / dryer sheets

ONLY NEW accepted:

• Socks
• Boys/Girls underwear
• Men’s boxer briefs – L, XL, XXL, XXXL sizes
• Women’s full brief underwear in larger sizes
• Bras – stretchy type or camisoles ​

Online Giving
Your financial gift makes a difference in living our Lord’s vision of Matthew 25:40 “…Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  We are grateful for your financial support as we faithfully share God’s Love and Offer Hope in Jesus’ Name to those in need.  Using our secure, online portal, it's easier than ever to help make a difference with your financial support.

Click HERE to support the Clothes Closet