Shop in our free “store” at the St. Stephen Lutheran Church Spring Clothing Giveaway this Saturday, April 27, from 10 am to noon at 537 Bolton St (that’s Route 85), Marlborough. Clothing in great condition for men, women and children at no cost, plus accessories, too, like costume jewelry, purses, scarves and shoes. A Thrivent Action Team project. Some new socks and underwear also available.

Have you chatted lately with your well-dressed neighbors? Or the friend trying to clear out before downsizing? How about the school buddy whose children seem to grow 6" a month? Invite them – today– to donate unwanted, unused and outgrown clothing and accessories in great condition to our Spring Clothing Giveaway, set for Saturday, April 27 from 10 am to noon. 
Clothes should be in very good to excellent condition, washed, folded, bagged and labeled by item, size and gender – for example, men’s shirts size L in a separate bag from toddler clothes, 2-4.

Donation times begin THIS SUNDAY, just after room set up, which occurs right after church, during coffee hour, or shall we say coffee-15-minutes? Please leave your donations in your car until after church and set up. 
Look at the sign up sheet in the narthex for donation times and other ways you can help our 15th Clothing Giveaway to be its usual success. We have a job for everyone. 
– Like to work out and looking for some great exercise? Bring your strength and help us set up the room after church on April 21, and/or restore it after the Giveaway at noon on April 27. 
– Enjoy organizing and seeing a project come to fruition? Follow the floor plan and put the chairs and signs in place. 
– Looking forward to re-homing good clothes and accessories? Bring your donations into the store after set up on Sunday, around noon, or any of these other times: 
- Monday, April 22, 6-8 pm 
-Tuesday, April 23, 10 am-noon and 6-8 pm - morning volunteers needed 
-Thursday, April 25, 5-6 pm - donation and final set-up 
Note that these are DONATION times, not drop-off times. We strongly encourage you to put your donations out in the store. If you need help or can’t possibly stay to play sales associate for a little while, see a volunteer when you bring in your donations. 
Here are some sobering statistics: An estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in U.S. landfills yearly, accounting for approximately 85% of all textiles. This equates to an alarming 81.5 pounds (37 kilograms) of textile waste per person per year. Although most clothing will break down into smaller pieces over time, it is likely to sit in landfills for up to 200 years before decomposing fully. 
Remember the three Rs– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! (Yes, THOSE 3 Rs.) Open your closet now and choose some items to donate! It might be time for the things you enjoyed buying but haven’t worn for a year to go to a new home – and it doesn’t have to be a trash can or a landfill.