This Christmas, Bryant Kids Closet is showing that it’s better to give than to receive

Bryant, Arkansas – It’s the season of giving, and thanks to many giving Arkansans, the community can bless children in need through one local nonprofit.

“Our main mission is to give kids dignity,” said Emil Woerner, Pastor of Friends in Christ Lutheran Church. “We want to give them new clothing, so they look like everyone else.”

The Kid’s Closet in Bryant was nothing more than a closet when it initially opened.

Woerner stated that he saw the need to grow as the requirements started to mount and believed that using some of the lands on his church’s property might be one way to do it. A charitable woman gave his church a $10,000 payment, which allowed for the construction of a building that would house the closet.

They eventually added another building, which according to Woerner tripled in size, in response to their needs growing once again.

Children’s supplies and clothing, either brand-new or gently worn, are housed inside each of the expanding structures.

“It just shows people have big hearts in our community,” Woerner said. “You tell them what you’re trying to do and they want to get involved.”

Dorris Sellers and her grandchildren hold great significance in the closet.

“There’s four children that would not have if it wasn’t for this closet,” she said. “They’ve given them shoes coats toys, they’ve made their life in the last year or two years.”

Many families attempting to give their children a memorable Christmas have found that the closet is a gift as the holiday draws near.

“I had a grandfather in here Sunday who we provided toys for his 5 grandkids,” Pat Barker, who oversees the closet, said. “He hugged me with tears and said my grandkids would not have had Christmas if it wasn’t from this closet.”

This year, the closet has also donated more than 160 mattresses to children who were without a bed thanks to the assistance of a nearby retailer. Their attempts to begin offering furniture such as this began after a neighboring school called one day to inquire if the closet had beds available because one of her students was nodding off in class due to a lack of a bed for the night.

According to the organizers, more families must visit this closet to benefit from all the donations because it is now expanding rapidly. If you are in need, they want to reassure you that everyone is made to feel comfortable and that your privacy is their top priority.