By Pat Kopecki
Wilson County News
STOCKDALE — Renee Vickers of the Stockdale Mission and a number of volunteers were on a “mission” to distribute 17 pallets of clothing to the area’s needy. A clothing distribution was conducted by the Ministry Resource Center at the Stockdale City Park May 17.
New, packaged blouses and men’s shorts were distributed by the Ministry Resource Center. Blouses with price tags of $59 and jean shorts with price tags of $99 were given to those who came.
Members of four local churches provided a picnic lunch to make the day complete. The ministry received five full completely stocked truckloads, said Stuart Vickers. The distribution was not only a chance to help those in need, but also it served as a “tool to talk about Jesus,” Renee said.
Donations toward the project were accepted, but not required to receive the clothes. Those who received clothes were encouraged to sign a “Blessings Book,” so those who signed may be remembered in prayers.
A sidewalk sale was also conducted that day, with proceeds to assist with the Ministry Resource Center’s project. The Ministry Resource Center, doing business as the Stockdale Mission, is located directly across from the Stockdale Park, on 106 E. Damaron Street.
A weekly food distribution is held every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. where everyone is welcome, with no qualifications. Participants are asked to take a laundry basket or box to take home vegetables, produce, and bread. Residential “consumables’ goods — brooms, mops, and dust pans — were also received through a Texas Facility Commission grant and are being distributed through the Ministry Resource Center.
The Center was at the “right place at the right time,” said Renee Vickers as she spoke of the $2 million worth of goods received. The clothes distribution was made possible by a grant through the Texas Facility Commission. The commission manages the disposition of surplus and salvage donated to the state by federal programs.
The clothing that was stored in Federal Emergency Management Agency’s warehouses was initially a gift from China to assist Hurricane Katrina victims, but arrived too late. Most of the evacuees have already left the storm-ravaged area.
This program is totally supported by revenues generated from handling fees, according to the Federal Surplus Property Web site. Handling fees are usually significantly lower than the cost of the goods if purchased on the open market.
Renee credits Gary Hendley for making this project possible. Hendley assisted the Vickers with storage at the EDC Moving System Warehouse in San Antonio for getting the merchandise to South Texas.
The city of Stockdale was “awesome,” Vickers said, to allow this project to happen. The city lent the Vickers containers to put things in and assisted in unloading the merchandise.
The job could not be complete without the enormous effort of the volunteers who helped to mark out the bar codes on the merchandise, so no clothes could be resold. The Vickers would like to thank all those who assisted in any way to make the clothing drive a success, but now they are asking for assistance to help fund the project.