Indian Heights United Methodist Church is responsible for the Clothing section of the Cross-Lines Christmas store, one of our major Outreach projects. Cross-Lines is an agency in Kansas City, Kansas, for poverty-level and disadvantaged families who would otherwise have a very meager Christmas or no Christmas at all.

The Christmas Store began 30 years ago with tables piled high with used clothing from the Bishops Round-up. Today we have an organized store with new clothing for all children and gently used for adults. We have involved 25 area churches in providing a complete set of new outerwear, underwear, socks, caps, and mittens for each child and new or good used outfits plus new gloves, underwear, socks and caps for adults. Some of these churches provide money for jeans that we order from the Lee Company at wholesale prices. Flannel nightgowns or thermal underwear are available for the elderly. We have new or good used coats for children as needed.

The store served over 550 families last year (2,500 people including 1,600 children). There is a special need for very large sized clothing for women. We have a sewing group that makes extra large outfits plus mends distressed merchandise that is donated by Wal-Mart.

Our work involves phone calls to keep the church contacts up to date, keeping these contacts informed of what and how many of each size we need, weekly trips to Wal-Mart to collect donations, collecting used clothing for adults, and sorting all clothes into size categories. Members of Indian Heights, with help from area churches, stock the store the week before it is to open in December. The week the store is open our members, plus area church members, assist shoppers, re-stock, man bins and carry out the clients’ selections. Our Youth Group comes to the store on Saturday to assist shoppers and carry out selections. We hope to help provide these families with a happier holiday.