GRAND OPENING — Cheryl Sako, left, volunteer coordinator, and Cynthia (Smith) Lytle, the mission’s community development director, talked inside Urban Mission Ministries’ Clothes Closet, a free thrift shop for the needy. It operates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday inside the mission’s War Memorial Building, located at 423 North St., Steubenville. The mission welcomes donations of gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing in good condition in addition to other items to be provided for free to shoppers. -- Janice Kiaski

STEUBENVILLE — The Clothes Closet, a free thrift shop in the War Memorial Building downtown that will help local people in need, is a two-sided mission, according to its organizers.

It’s a mission to those it serves, and it’s a mission for those who are — and can be — a part of making the service available for the less fortunate.

Though the Clothes Closet has been in its infancy to some degree since the fall, the Urban Mission Ministries outreach is on the cusp of a grand opening as Tuesday officially kicks off its weekly operation with families and individuals welcome to visit and shop there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The mission purchased the War Memorial Building at 423 North St., Steubenville, from the Jefferson County commissioners in July 2015 with plans to ultimately transform the upper level — a long-term project — into a homeless shelter for women and children with other areas of the building to offer a variety of supportive services and some office space.

It was purchased for a bid of $10,303.70, the amount a symbolic one in paying homage to Luke 10:30-37 and the story of the Good Samaritan.

The former building was constructed in the 1930s and served as a facility to assist veterans. It is located across the street from the Urban Mission Church at 301 N. Fifth St. and just a block away from the Urban Mission Warehouse at 311 N. Sixth St.

The Clothes Closet is one facet of the building’s transformation, and volunteer Cheryl Sako is the coordinator of the outreach that offers a variety of men’s, women’s and children’s donated clothing items in addition to shoes, accessories, purses, belts, hats, coats, gloves, blankets and whatever other donated items become available.

It is set up with a department store atmosphere featuring organized sections, the clothing, for example, hung on racks divided into different sizes, from small on up, and areas designated for women, children and men.

A key difference, though, is the absence of any price tags.

“Everything is free,” Sako said in offering a tour of the store in recent days. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday with no proof of need required.

“In here we’re set up with women’s coats, and then we have our clothes separated from small, medium, large and extra large in the women’s sizes,” Sako begins the tour. “Up here on the front of the other side we have the children’s department, both boys and girls, and we’re in the process of tweeking that department just a little bit,” said Sako, who spearheaded the organizing and setup with the help of volunteers.

“Men’s (clothing) is back in our corner, and around the perimeter are household goods, shoes, belts, whatever comes in. We also take in a lot of blankets and bedsheets that go out a lot,” she continued.

“Every once in a while we’ll get something like books or luggage which also are needed, curtains, anything like that,” she said, responding in the affirmative when asked if items such as jewelry and purses, for instance, are donations that would be appreciated.

“The purses are back in the corner, and some of them are hanging up on the pegboard in the back with the belts and scarves,” Sako said.

Volunteers will be on hand to offer assistance to shoppers.

“They will be limited to 20 items right now that they can take with them each week,” Sako explained of how the shopping will be structured. “They can take whatever they need, and one winter coat per member in their household. That is so we can have everyone warm,” she said.

Help from the public with donations is “absolutely” what’s hoped for to keep the item inventory available and growing.

“We do not buy anything in this department,” Sako said. “It’s all donated materials, so we’re depending on the community really to help us get this out to the people who need it.”

Donations of hangers also would be appreciated.

Items can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday either at the War Memorial Building or at the mission itself at 301 N. Fifth St. Donors are invited to call (740) 282-8010 to make arrangements or for information.

Cynthia (Smith) Lytle, the mission’s community development director, applauded Sako’s effort and leadership in getting the Clothes Closet up and running.

“The beginning of September is when she started, but that was all trying to figure out how this would work, look like, and Miss Cheryl played just a huge and significant role in that,” Lytle said.

“She has the system set up as far as donations, intake, how inventory is to be counted and what’s going on,” Lytle continued. “Every time I come back over, she usually has added a new element. It’s amazing to see the transformation,” she added.

“I would say this is going to be our grand opening for the new year,” she said of Tuesday.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Clothes Closet or other mission opportunities can contact Lytle at (740) 282-8010.

Asked what message she’d like most to get across to readers, Sako responded, “Clean out your closets and share with the community, because that’s how we will get the things out to the people who need them.”

Although warmer clothing for the current season is most appreciated, spring and summer clothing are welcomed also. Clean, wearable clothes for any season always are appreciated, she said.

“I can show you my sorting room,” Sako offers. “We’ve already loaded up for the spring and summer. It’s hard to get people just to bring in the winter things especially after Christmas when people are cleaning cupboards and drawers.”

She emphasized, “Even though we function as a thrift store, our families and individuals in need, they come here, and they get what they need free of charge. They don’t walk through these doors and pay for anything, so even though we function as a thrift store, it doesn’t cost anything.”

“She took it on and made it her baby and looks at it as her mission right now, and you can tell,” Lytle said of Sako’s efforts.

Sako does see her involvement in the Clothes Closet as a mission.

“I really feel connected to our community, and I really see a need for the things we’re doing,” she said. “I see a real need, and it makes me happy when people come in and find things for their children or they take warm blankets,” she said.

(Kiaski can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)