The Kid’s Closet Ministry has finished moving into their spacious new home. However, there’s still some additional work that needs to be done before the facility is completely up and running.
Executive Director Linda Lewandowski reported that everything has been moved from the basement at the North Judson United Methodist church into the new building located on the west side of North Judson on Highway 10.
Lewandowski said all of the additional space will help significantly with storing and sorting.
She said they had a difficult time fitting volunteers into their former location which had less than 1,000 square feet. With 2,900 square feet at the new place, there is plenty of room volunteers to work comfortably plus extra space for storage.
A lot of progress has been made in regards to organization with a wide variety of clothing, shoes and toys already sorted and stored neatly. 
Director Lewandowski mentioned that three washers and three dryers were donated to help with laundering the items.
She noted that some plumbing work and a gas line needs to be installed and hooked up before those are functional. They’re also still working to get the water turned on at the location but Lewandowski said that should be done by the end of the week.
Lewandowski explained that the move temporarily halted the organization’s typical duties of packaging and delivering clothing but she says they hope to start that up again by this weekend.
In addition to serving as the headquarters for Kid’s Closet, the church’s food pantry will eventually be at this location. Lewandowski said a lot of reconstruction has to be done to that portion of the building before anything can be stored there.
The needed renovations include removing a garage door and installing a window and door as well as doing some drywall work and putting up shelves.
If you’re interested in providing assistance, call 574-896-5927 and select extension 4 to reach Kid’s Closet. Individuals with plumbing and construction experience are especially encouraged to provide a helping hand but all volunteers are welcome.
Clothing and food donations still need to be dropped off at the North Judson United Methodist Church until the donation building is moved and the space for the food pantry is ready.
To view pictures of the new facility and to see the latest updates, check out the Facebook page for the Kid’s Closet Ministry.
