For the past nine years, people in need of clothing in the Danville area have been able to utilize the Salvation Army’s Clothing Closet, where they can obtain donated clothing items for free.
But that will soon end, as the Salvation Army plans to close the store later this month, due to a number of issues, including a lack of customers and volunteers. Major Jason Pollom says enough clothing is still available for a giveaway on Thursday, June 17, but after that the items will be donated to other places. He says the clothing closet was no longer a focus of the Salvation Army’s ministries.
“There are only a handful of people who have been coming in,” Pollom explains. “We just doesn’t think we can operate it in the way we want it to and there’s not enough response.”
Pollom says that the store formerly operated as a thrift shop, but that closed in 2012, and for the past nine years it has been used for giving away clothes. With the closet closing, he says the largest room in the Salvation Army’s building will be repurposed for other uses.
Besides the clothing closet, the Salvation Army also hosts food pantries on Tuesdays and Fridays. Pollom says that traffic is down a bit, which he attributes to people having more money, but he also believes more traffic could come as eviction moratoriums are lifted later this year.
