It’s Friday in the clothing department at the Father Fred Foundation.
- Sharon and Sera brought a Father Fred moment to the clothing department
Two young men wearing T-shirts and tennis shoes have arrived by bus. One is looking for a decent pair of shoes and dress clothes to wear to church, maybe for a wedding.
Enter Sharon and Sera, two Friday clothing volunteers. As it happened, earlier that morning, a donor had brought in three pairs of large men’s shoes in excellent condition. One pair fit the young man like a glove.
They located a brand new shirt, but it was for a tuxedo and had no buttons. Sharon got on the phone with Captain’s Quarters in downtown Traverse City, where staff agreed to supply buttons and cufflinks if the young men could get there to pick them up.
“We were working as a team trying to figure out things for these two guys,” Sera said.
A suit jacket fit just right, but the pants were too long. Undaunted, Sera volunteered to shorten them and before anyone knew it, was on her knees measuring and pinning. They also found dress socks to complete the outfit.
“That afternoon, Sera cut the pants, hemmed and pressed them and at 2:00 said she would meet ‘the boys’ at Captain’s Quarters. – they were taking the bus down there,” Sharon recalled.
“They were extremely grateful,” Sera said.
Alterations aren’t typically a service offered at the Foundation, said Sharon, explaining that when he was chaplain at the Traverse City State Hospital, she worked there as a nurse. “He went out of his way for people.
“We can’t do what we did with those young men for everyone, but I try to treat everyone who comes in as if they are a customer in a high-end clothing store. I think that’s who we should be.”
And there’s satisfaction in that for the volunteers.
“It’s when you feel you’ve made a difference, and given people something they don’t expect,” Sharon said. “We should be that.
“They get enough of the other stuff. We should be there to help them with their clothing needs.”
Sera agreed.
“That’s the reason I enjoy volunteering here so much,” she said. “Everybody just rallies together to meet individual needs.”
Volunteer now by calling Jan Zolik at 231.947.2055 ext. 34.
