The second organizational meeting of the Fort Scott Community Closet met on Oct. 1 and officers were elected.

Carol Oakleaf is the president and Lori Lovelace is the secretary/treasurer.

“It’s a good representation, representing a lot of churches,” Lovelace said. “It’s for the whole county.”

At the meeting, guidelines were set up to distribute clothing to those in most need, Lovelace said.

People will be referred by organizations in the county to receive a voucher to get the clothing.

“Vouchers will be distributed to anyone who deals with people in need and crisis, to get names,” Lovelace said. This includes churches and other organizations.

“Then we will know what they need and a volunteer will be available to work with them,” Lovelace said. “People can come one-on-one with a volunteer to the closet.”

The community closet is located in a shed on the property of Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National.

Donations of clothing are already being accepted at the laundromat and clothing has been cleaned in preparation for the distribution which Lovelace anticipates to be in this month into November.

The laundromat donates the cleaning  of the clothing.

Once the shed that will house the closet is finished, the clothing will be arranged for recipients to come in and choose what they need with a volunteer.

“The shed is not done yet,” Lovelace said. Flooring, painting, heat/air conditioning, and electricity are on the agenda to be completed.

Once the initial batch of donated clothing is distributed to those who are in need, the public can get one outfit per person.

“After Thanksgiving, there will be a community day,” she said. “I will advertise the open number of hours and volunteers will man it.”

Fort Scott Washateria Celebrates One Month In Business

Fort Scott Washateria “is going great guns,” Lovelace of the first month of the laundromat.