Hearts for Service
By: Local friend and leader, Mrs. Debbie Steck, member at the Cooks Point Methodist church and volunteer at Caldwell Christians Care.
What if someone were to tell you there is an organization in Caldwell that has been faithfully serving Burleson County for 37 years, with an emphasis on the underserved. That this organization is run, from top to bottom, by volunteers, some of whom have been working there for decades. That this organization provides clothing and utility assistance as well as providing a home for a food pantry, one of three servicing the Burleson County area. Some of you may very well have already guessed the Caldwell Christians Care Store. And that's not a typo folks, it is actually Christians Care. And that little 's' carries a lot of meaning.
Back in 1988, Reverend John Warren, of Cooks Point Methodist Church, as well as Billie Lauderdale, long-time member of the church, attended a break-out session at a United Methodist District meeting. Out of this session, a seed was planted about the need for a food and clothing store supported by donations of money, food and clothing as well as other items. The funds collected would be used to help the community in various ways. Reverend Warren was President of the Caldwell Ministerial Alliance, so he took the idea to them. And that's how a vision was put into action; very much an ecumenical effort among the churches to bring this to fruition. Thus the name "Christians Care".
The meaning might have been lost over time as the store is commonly referred to as Christian Care, but the name is important. It represents a group of folks from all denominations, checking their doctrine at the door, to work together in a dedicated effort to serve the community.
With a volunteer, dedicated Board of Directors to lead the way and set policy, the store continues to evolve and grow. Volunteers process donations, keeping and salvaging what they can, trying to find other uses for items that might not be right for the store. They research, price and organize. The layout of the store may change week to week to keep things fresh and the inventory moving. These ladies work so hard. A team of men comes in every Monday to process "men-type" donations, making sure electronics are working, doing some repairs and basically doing the heavy lifting. One volunteer handles the interview of potential clients as a vetting process determining the amount of assistance that can be provided, be that utility assistance, vouchers for clothing, or other necessary items. She also manages the finances and answers to the Board. Christians Care provides partial funding for the in-house food pantry, as well as space, equipment and utilities. The food pantry also welcomes cash and non-perishable food items as donations from the public. And cashiers check out customers, listen to stories and oftentimes pray with clients who are going through a rough time. They get to know their clients over time and form a bit of a relationship.
But this story is actually about more than the volunteers. It also includes a community that has been devoted to the organization from the beginning. Churches and Civic Clubs that donate financially, people who donate items, some of which are of great value, think designer purses. We carry items that still have their original tags on them, never been used or worn. These are folks in the community who have decided this is a better use of their purged items than putting them in a garage sale or throwing them away, all in an effort to help their fellow man.
And then you have the clients, who countless times will see someone struggling to come up with the money and say, "I've got you". A customer who saw someone shopping and slipped $40 to the cashier to cover their purchases because she knew the person was struggling. It's not uncommon for a volunteer to see a need and step in and say, "Let me get that for you". We have recent experiences where clothes have been provided so that someone can go interview for a job, or preach a sermon, or attend a funeral. And it is a regular occurrence at the register to hear, "Keep the change. I know it's going to a good cause."
We felt it was time to get our story out there again. Give you a little back-ground, a little insight. To encourage you to come in again if you haven't been in a while. The inventory turns over pretty fast. If you can't find what you're looking for this week, odds are you will find it next week. And we don't just see people in need. We have serious resellers come into the store, looking for and finding valuable items. And thrifting has become somewhat of a thing with the younger generation. They love coming in to find some vintage clothing or purses. And sometimes, we even have to explain to them what something is.
Yes Caldwell, you have an organization that has been faithfully serving your community and the surrounding areas for 37 years. It is a beautiful story of dedicated Christians with a desire to help others, a grateful clientele and a generous-hearted community. We are open to take donations on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Just drive around to the back and if you see that garage door open, we're ready to happily receive what you've got. Store hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Utility and clothing assistance are available on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. And the food pantry is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. We at Caldwell Christians Care thank you from the bottom of our heart.
From the Editors...
Caldwell Christians care is full of true treasures--both the donated items and the people. Thank you for demonstrating true, Christian, love for our community.
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