Clothes go at unbeatable price

MARTIN DE RUYTER/The Nelson Mail

OP SHOPPING: Thang Ngaih Man Tung Lut carries her baby Go Lian Kim Charles as she looks through clothes at the Free Clothes Day at the City Church in Hardy St.

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Nelsonians crowded outside the City Church on Hardy St yesterday to get their hands on some of the thousands of items of free clothing available.

The annual event asked people from around the community to donate clothing and food for those who need it.

Senior pastor at the church, Wesley Smith, said the Free Clothes Day was a "no strings attached" way of helping people.

"The simple thing is that there is obviously a demand for it. Nowadays even clothes for children are really expensive and not everybody can afford it."

Gaye Jenkins, who took along her seven-year-old son, was thankful for the church's efforts.

"I think it's great. I congratulate them on how wonderful it all is," Ms Jenkins said. She said times had been especially tough recently and she did not even go into op shops any more because they had put their prices up.

Mr Smith said they usually expected a few hundred people to come through the doors but, when they opened at 9.30am, it was a bit of a "mad dash".

Marie Allan took her three children with her to find something warm for the winter.

"You can't always budget for it," she said. "So you can't get better than free."

"Our house is very cold so it's just about keeping the kids warm. They have asthma and eczema, so the warmer the better," Ms Allan said.

The church also held a raffle for a dozen bags of groceries.

"We would love to give food to everybody but there is just not enough to go round," Mr Smith said.

He said the number of donated clothes was looking low until three days ago, when a big haul came in.

- © Fairfax NZ News