The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Grace Closet gives away clothes, household items





Ed Angell and his wife, Debbie, operate Grace Closet on East Main St. in Whitesburg.

Ed Angell and his wife, Debbie, operate Grace Closet on East Main St. in Whitesburg.

A North Carolina couple is helping needy Letcher County residents by giving away clothes in downtown Whitesburg.

“We’re just here to help those who might be in need,” said Ed Angell, a semi-retired carpenter. “Our mission is to get clothes to people who need it. We just felt like there was a need and the Lord was calling us to do this.”

After handing out backpacks to children in Jenkins two years ago, Ed and Debbie Angell of Franklin, N.C., opened Grace Closet in Jenkins to aid low-income families in the area. In April 2015, the Angells moved Grace Closet to East Main Street in Whitesburg in the building that previously housed Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation’s Wellness Center. They reopened in September.

The Angells provide three outfits per family each month to those who come to their store. Household items are also available and the Angells ask people give a donation to help pay rent and utilities if they can.

“Some people give a couple of dollars and are appreciative,” said Michelle Sexton, a volunteer at Grace Closet.

Sexton said there have been days where a hundred people have come through the store.

Churches in Georgia and North Carolina bring lots of donations to Grace Closet. Recently, Letcher County residents have started dropping off items.

“They believe in the idea we are doing and that is the way it works,” said Angell.

The Angells recently sold 16 box spring and mattress sets for $25 each that they got from a hotel in Asheville, N.C.

“They went quick,” said Sexton. “People really appreciated it.”

A room located to the right of the main area is designated as a yard sale room. Items in this room have price tags on them and anyone in the community can buy these items to help cover overhead costs.

Grace Closet is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“It’s all about the Lord,” said Sexton. “We’ve been graced with all these clothes and we want this to be passed on.”


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