The Ellensburg Community Clothing Center has been providing clothes for the men, women and children of Kittitas County since 1971. The center is located within the United Methodist Church on North Ruby Street and is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The center provides washed and gently used clothing for anyone in need.

When you walk in, you see numerous clothes on hangers or neatly folded in stacked cabinets. They have two separate sides for men and women, with children’s clothes on either side. Their services don’t just stop at clothes as they provide belts, beanies and assortments of shoes too.

As long as you have proof of living in Kittitas County, you are welcome to check out up to 10 pieces of clothing a month. Once that month is up you are welcome to come check out another 10. Your proof of address can be anything from your library card, your electric bill or even your student ID. If there is a family of five, that means they are able to walk out of the clothing center with 50 items for that month. 

Ellensburg Clothing Community Center’s Coordinator Judy Beal touched on the feeling of helping out families and individuals in need. “It feels special,” Beal said. “If I can help another person get socks, or warm shoes or something like that, they are going to be thankful for that and maybe they pass that onto someone else.”

With 22 volunteers involved at the clothing center, people have found their way via the church, word of mouth or even just the personal desire to give back to the community.

Volunteer Jessica Huff is one of the members who found this opportunity from joining the church with her family. “We felt that it’s just such a warm and welcoming place,” Huff said. “Everyone is invited to come and join us.”

“I love it here,” Volunteer Cathy Linder said. “It’s just so many different people from so many different places. They are so fun to talk to and we get to do something that matters … I’m retired and it’s so nice to be able to give back in any way I can do it.”

There is one volunteer who has been with the center since the beginning and that woman is June Fisher. The 94-year-old still helps out and you can stop by and see her every first and second Tuesday of the month. “She’s a super lady,” Beal said. “She is still as bright and quick as she always was. It’s amazing she has stuck it out since 1971.”

The clothing center was formed by all of the churches banding together to form what we know now as the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center. According to Beal, it was primarily the women leading the charge and even to this day 21 out of the 22 members are women. 

“This is all volunteer, no one gets paid. They are coming in and helping and I have to say, they are amazing women and I just can’t believe I’ve met them,” Beal said. “It just shows you that having that clothing center there reaches out farther than you think in the community. It’s open to everybody.”