Last week, the world celebrated Earth Day, and this is a great time of year to think about recycling! One of the best ways to reuse things you don't need any more is to donate your clean, working items to the Coat of Many Colors Resale Shop. Your gently used clothing and household goods will  be resold, with the revenues being used to support the programs of Mission Central.

From time to time, the Coat of Many Colors receives donations that are not suitable for sale in our store. When this happens, our creative volunteers still try to keep the items out of our landfills by sharing them with other organizations or by crafting them into something new.

When the store receives clothing that may not sell well at our location, it is placed in a bin for pick up by the United Community Centers.  The UCC  is an organization that provides services to impoverished communities in Fort Worth. Clothing with stains or tears are sent to a local recycling company. 

Some volunteers go even further to save items from the trash. Odds and ends of yarn that are donated to the store are knitted into beautiful scarves and caps that are then sold at the store or in other venues to raise money for Mission Central. Half-burned candles are melted together to make useful candles for a local church. Towels and blankets with stains or tears are taken to an animal shelter to make the animals' stay at the shelter more comfortable.

If you've "liked" the Coat of Many Colors on Facebook, you've likely seen our fun posts on way to upcycle items you purchase at the store. Turn a picture frame into a towel rack? Make a mismatched cup and saucer into a bird feeder? Why not? If you're not a crafter, be sure to visit the store often, as creative volunteers may turn donations that can't be sold into beautiful, new treasures that sell fast.

When you shop at the Coat of Many Colors, you're not just being earth-friendly, but also helping empower our neighbors in need by supporting Mission Central. If you'd like to shop at the store or make a donation, drop by our location at 625 Harwood Road in Bedford from 10 am - 6 pm, Monday - Saturday. 

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we've been celebrating the 712 people who shared more than 25,000 hours of their time with Mission Central last year.  

At this month's Mobile Food Pantry, volunteers were treated to bags of fresh peanuts donated by Texas Roadhouse. Texas Roadhouse employees wanted to recognize the efforts of our hard-working volunteers, as they themselves often help at the Mobile Food Pantry.

On April 25th, volunteers who served more than 15 hours in the past year were invited to a special event at the First United Methodist Church of Hurst. The theme of the event was "Volunteers Bring Sunshine to our World," and volunteers enjoyed dinner, a program describing how their work impacts our community, and a special "sunshine" cookie to take home.

If you're interested in joining Mission Central's volunteer team, please contact Catherine Hollis at catherine.hollis@missioncentraltx.org or 817-595-0011.

Mark your calendar for Mission Central's Job and Resource Fair on Monday, May 23. The event will take place at the First United Methodist Church of Hurst (521 West Pipeline Road) from 10 am - 2 pm.

This will be a great opportunity for job-seekers to connect with companies who are hiring in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area. Please invite anyone you know who is currently seeking employment and encourage them to attend.

If you work for a company that is currently hiring in the H-E-B area, please contact Diane Postell at diane.postell@missioncentraltx.org or 

817-595-0011 for more information about participating in this event.