There are no income guidelines or requirements for service. People in need can contact the main office at 30 and be directed to the nearest site. She’s looking to establish a site in Calhoun County by Easter. The Angel Closet model is in place at the Gabriel Project’s other locations, of which there is at least one in every county served except Calhoun. Before, “I would just gather those things up myself.”ĭeCicco credited the organization’s board with taking a leap of faith to acquire more space for the Angel Closet. “They can make those choices themselves,” he said. Vienna resident Dick Noel has volunteered at the Gabriel Project for six years. You get to pick things you can actually use,” Hartley said. She said she was hesitant to take things she didn’t think would work for her and her son rather than leave them with someone who could get better use out of them, but at the same time, she didn’t want to seem rude by declining. Hartley likes the change, which allows her to select the items that best work for her rather than a well-meaning volunteer. My newborn son wouldn’t even have a bed without them,” Hartley said. After her husband unexpectedly lost his job just prior to the birth of their youngest son, now 2 months old, she found herself needing its help again. Parkersburg resident Miranda Hartley relied on assistance from the Gabriel Project when her oldest son, now 5, was born. “They like coming in they like getting to know our volunteers,” DeCicco said. It can also be beneficial for people just to know that someone is taking an interest in and caring about them, she said. If she or a volunteer hears a parent talking about a particular issue they’re struggling with, DeCicco can follow up with the client, offering advice or linking them to other resources. Part of the faith-based organization’s mission is to provide for tangible needs, but the other part is to provide emotional and spiritual support to families with young children. “You’re not just getting a wad of clothes in a (plastic) bag.”ĭeCicco said it also provides more chances to interact with and get to know clients. “There’s a little bit of dignity to it,” DeCicco said.
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