Clean Closets for Campers
The Retreat and Camping Ministries of the Baltimore-Washington Conference is working with Mission Partners to provide funds for camperships. This initiative began in the Western PA Conference and we are happy to bring it to the BWC.
How it works
- Clean out your closets. Collect all those clothes you haven’t worn in a long while and bring them to the church. Be sure to include shoes, purses, hats and bedding too!
- Once the church has around 100 bags, Mission Partners will come to the church and collect the bags, take them back to their storage facility and weigh them.
- From there they will be sent to a facility that gives them a new life. Most donated items stay inside the U.S. and are made into reusable rags, eco-friendly insulation for homes or resold to thrift stores. A small percentage is sent abroad to companies that create jobs in the resale of affordable clothing.
- The church then receives a check directly from Mission Partners for 50% of the market value of the weight of the clothes.
Churches can then use these funds for their own Campership program and youth functions.
» Apply or get more information.
Marketing Materials
We’ve put together some materials to help you get your congregation and community involved:
Church bulletin inserts: Color | Black & White
PowerPoint slideshow (multiple slides)
Frequently Asked Questions
Mission Partners provided the following frequently asked questions, and their answers:
What size bags should we use?
We recommend using the 30-gallon bags because you can put more merchandise in them but it is not crucial. We suggest using a decent grade bag that will hold up well being handled several times and not overloading it to the point that it is tough to carry etc. We discourage the use of cardboard boxes, which often take up far more room than the bags do and are ruined if they get wet. We do our upmost to be as flexible and easy to get along with as we can – the important thing is simply to encourage members, family and friends to donate!
If churches are interested in a container on their property – how large is the container? How many bags will it hold?
The container is 4′ wide by 6.5′ tall (roughly the size of a refrigerator) and it holds about 40 bags. Generally, more active churches will often end up requesting more than one bin to handle the influx of many donations. Often our partner churches will give us a call and let us know when they see their bin/s are full. We’ve never charged to empty them – that’s just a part of our service.
How much money should the church expect to receive?
The amount of money received is completely dependent on the amount of donations. All donations are weighed and then Mission Partners will give the church a check for 50% of the current market value of the goods. The monies collected can be placed in your church’s campership fund! (Average market value is 20 cents/pound).
Are receipts for taxes available?
Since each individual is donating to the church, it is up to each church to decide how they would handle this.