Homeless Men's Clothes Closet

The facility for the homeless is managed by the Austin District UMM.  The entire staff are either volunteers or compensated by grant monies. When the men from churches under the Austin District UMM organization accepted the request to staff the clothes closet, the Homeless Men's Clothes Closet began distributing clothes on October 19, 1999. The Clothes Closest has served over 16,000 customers through the middle of 2011.

Because of limited space, in 2008, the Clothes Closet moved from the A.R.C.H. to Central Presbyterian Church at 8th and Brazos which is three blocks away from A.R.C.H.  Customers are signed up at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (A.R.C.H.), officially known as Front Steps (7th and Neches) and walk to Central Presbyterian Church.  Homeless men can sign up for clothes once a month.  On each visit, they can receive five items of clothing - one of each type (pants, shirts, t-shirts, socks, and underwear).  Other items of clothing such as coats and caps are available depending on donations and handed out on an as-needed basis.

The Clothes Closet for Homeless Men is open Mondays from 9:00 AM until 11:30 AM, and has truly developed into a ministry. Each Monday is begun with a prayer prior to serving the customers. The prayer includes the words "God help us to see Christ in those we serve today and help us so they can see Christ in us". Volunteers and donations of clothing or cash are always welcome. For more information about the Clothes Closet, please visit the clothes closet FAQ's page or contact Ralph Eckwall at 452-4933 (H) or eck@austin.rr.com