Basement Boutique continued:

History:

The store was the brainchild of a former Contact Ministries Board Member. Prior to the store opening, a person in need would come to Contact and ask a volunteer for clothing. The volunteer would then go down into the basement store and find clothes for this person. A lot of times the clothes did not fit the person in need. She wanted a more dignified process where people could shop for their own clothes. She also envisioned that the women who lived in the shelter would work in the store which would give them some job training and networking opportunities with volunteers.

In March of 2011 the store was opened. The store is located in the basement of Contact Ministries. Shortly after opening, one of the shelter moms was showing off an outfit she got at the “Basement Boutique” – and the name stuck!

In October 2011 a grant was received from Women for Women to help fund the Basement Boutique. Because of this grant a basement manager was hired to organize the Boutique and manage the volunteer staff. Also a Volunteer Coordinator was hired to oversee, schedule, and train the volunteers.
Everything in the store has been donated by people in the Springfield community and everything is free. We give it away. We do have “limits” on certain items so that we can try to help more people. We give away gently used clothing, bedding, towels, household items, baby items and small appliances.

Hours to Shop:

Wednesdays: Women’s Shopping Day 9:00 a.m-11:30 am (We are able to take the first 20 shoppers).

Contact Ministries is currently only open to the public on Wednesdays but will take appointments Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays 9:00am-4:00pm for special situations.

Hours to Volunteer:
– Mondays: 9-12
– Wednesdays: 9-12
– Fridays: 9-12

What items do we constantly need?

– Men’s, women’s and children’s clothes and shoes
– Used Silverware Sets, Dishes, Pots & Pans
– New or Gently Used Towels/Sheets/Comforters
– New Gently used/clean men’s, women’s and children’s underwear
– New or Gently used small appliances (i.e. toaster, blender, mixer, etc)

If you are interested in volunteering at the store, contact Jen Jones volunteercoordinator@contactministries.com