The Closet on 54th

The Closet on 54th:

Our Story

The Closet on 54th is a clothing ministry that provides up to ten items of clothing, a pair of shoes, and two non-shoe accessories per month free to the community in need. The ministry was originally founded as God’s Closet in April 2015 at College Lutheran Church by SVLC member Leslie Atkins as a tribute to her mother who had passed away the previous year leaving a multitude of clothing.

In August 2016 we relocated to Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church on 54th to partner with The Cupboard, a food ministry already in operation at Calvary three times a week.

The Closet is open 11am-1:00pm every other Wednesday starting, and is run by volunteers from Shepherd of the Valley, and members of the community. We generally sort donations on Wednesdays when the Closet is closed.

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How you can help

We average 1200-1500 items of clothing and accessories given to 140-160 people each month. We are partnered with the San Diego Food Bank and operate on a barcode system. Our clients are issued an ID card with a bar code and a case number, then we scan their card and the number of items they receive. They can return the same month if they did not reach the monthly limit the first time.

We are always looking for donations of gently-used clean clothing and accessories (shoes, belts, purses, hats, etc.) and more people interested in volunteering to help. We take men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, but we especially need men’s clothing and shoes.

Donations can be dropped off during The Closet’s or Cupboard’s operating hours or when the Calvary church office is open 8am-noon every day. There is also a collection box in the narthex at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church.

Open for Business

The open days for the Closet for the next three months are August 5 and 19. September 2 and 16, and October 7 and 21, 11am to 1pm, unless it rains. We will be sorting and restocking on August 12 and 26, September 9 and 23, and October 14 and 28. Note we will be closed on September 30 to adjust the schedule for the upcoming winter holidays. Additionally, I will be out-of-town on September 22 through October 10, but with sufficient volunteers we can still sort on September 23 and plan to open on October 7. The Cupboard for food distribution is open every Monday and Wednesday 11am to 2pm. We are always looking for volunteers to help at the Closet when we're open or on the days we sort and restock. If you are looking, or you know someone who is looking for a volunteer opportunity for a few hours a month, please consider donating your time to the Closet. Also financial assistance is always welcome for the Cupboard on 54th or the San Diego Food Bank, and Thrivent members can designate their Choice Dollars to the San Diego Food Bank. We very much appreciate all the clothing donations we are receiving, but for now our storage room is packed. Until we can catch up we need to hold off on accepting any more donations. Please wait another 3 to 4 months before bringing more donations to church. Bless you all!

We are located at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3060 54th St, San Diego. Please contact Leslie Atkins at thecloseton54th@gmail.com or at 619-916-8780 if you would like to help, donate, or for more info.

Thanks and Blessings,

Leslie Atkins