ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Light Orlando along with dozens of volunteers came together to help get results for people in our community who need it most.
Volunteers spent their Saturday morning sorting through clothes at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to give to organizations in Central Florida, which in turn provide the clothes to people who need it or are experiencing homelessness.
“It feels wonderful to think that there’s this many people in the community that care and really want to make a difference in the lives of people,” said Sally Ipson, who is visiting from Utah on an 18-month long mission to help people find jobs.
Ipson said a fresh set of clothes can make a big difference for some.
“What I have found is that sometimes when we’re working with people that don’t have a job, they’re emotionally not very resilient right now and they just need a lift, so sometimes when they’re given something new, that is just anything new, that makes them feel better about themselves,” Ipson said.
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In addition to clothing items, Light Orlando also provided the charities with socks, underwear, hygiene products, diapers and more.
“We see a lot of people who are experiencing homelessness, some who are with kids living in their car, some who are living in camps in the woods,” said Samantha Espinoca with One Heart, one of the many charities benefitting from Saturday’s clothing giveaway.
She said while One Heart mainly serves food, they also like to add in extra resources like clothing and hygiene items.
“This just helps us make sure that even if it’s a day or two worth of clothing, we can give them something clean and ready to go,” Espinoca said. “It’s just really nice to give them that dignity.”
Kurt Scherer with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said by partnering with Light Orlando, it furthers their goal to share hope and light.
“As we serve together, we can help the community do that and also know that there’s more to come, you know, that’s the vision of what the church does and what Light Orlando does,” Scherer said.
To learn more about Light Orlando and to volunteer, click here.
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