The Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids has a year-round program, Zion Open Closet, to help those in need.  Zion Open Closest was recently awarded a grant of $3,870 through the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation annual grant cycle which will help the program to keep helping as many people as possible.

Zion Open Closet provides good used and new clothing, shoes, or other items free to those in the community who are finding it difficult to meet the needs of their families, people experiencing homelessness or people in recovery.  It is also to help people experiencing crisis situations such as a home fire, evictions or someone starting over after domestic abuse. The program is run entirely by volunteers.

The annual grant cycle grant helps the Zion Open Closet purchase new coats, thermal underwear, undergarments and socks for men, women, and children, as well as blankets, sheets, towels, and hygiene items.  In the past year, the program has noticed an increase in grandparent/children family units needing help, as well as more single men and women.  The Zion Open Closet typically served around 967 separate family units and well over 2200 Itasca County area family members in 2023.

For more information about the Zion Open Closet or if you’d like to donate, you can visit the church website at ziongr.org/outreach or call 218-326-8553.

The Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation has been connecting donors’ charitable intentions to community needs for 30 years to make our Greater Itasca Area a better place to live.  For more information, visit our website at www.gracf.org or schedule a visit by calling (218) 999-9100.