Community News
Della McFarland explains Shepard’s Closet to Rotary
Everything you need from clothes to houseware
Delma McFarland explained what really goes on at the Shepard’s Closet to the Area Rotary during a regular scheduled luncheon on March 20. The Caring Center is divided into the two different sections: the clothing section and the food section. Delma is the clothing director.
When McFarland retired from the Vandalia area, she made the move to Gillespie and felt the need “to help somewhere.” She started working at the Caring Center and really enjoyed it. After some time, she became the director and has been in love with it ever since. “I really feel it is God’s call for me.”
The Caring Center has a board that is comprised of five people. Everything the clothing department gets is donated from community members. What the Shepard’s Closet sells goes back to the Center to provide food for more people or pay for utilities such as power and heating/cooling.
“A lot of people have the misconception that the Shepard’s Closet is strictly for the poor,” McFarland explained, “That is not so.” According to McFarland, the Closet prices their clothing so anyone in need can afford to buy it. If people in the community cannot afford to buy the clothing, it is given to them. “People need help if people get laid off or lose their house in a fire.”
People need proper clothes to wear and that is what the Shepard’s Closet is there for. The clothing at the Shepard’s Closet is the cheapest clothes you can buy anywhere in the area. Right now, there is sale going on that you can buy a bag full of jeans for just $1. Delma went on to say that about three pairs of jeans fit into one bag.
“We have good, name brand clothes,” McFarland noted. The Closet does have an outlet for damaged clothes that are received. Those unsellable clothes are given to people in need of them, but distributed by other organizations.
The Shepard’s Closet is ran by six area churches in the area: The United Methodist Church of Gillespie, The United Methodist Church of Benld, The First Christian Church, Saint Simon, Saint Joseph, Saint Jude, Zion Lutheran Church, and Trinity Baptist. The people that run the cash register and work up in the clothing department are volunteers from the churches.
Volunteers do not have to be from church though; the Shepard’s Closet would take anyone willing to help out. “There is a need for help,” Delma explained, “We need young, healthy people that can run up stairs.”
The upstairs of the Shepard’s Closet contain the opposite season clothes. So, now there are the winter clothes upstairs and the summer clothes will be up there in the winter. That way you can buy any clothes at any time of the year. The sale going on upstairs is anything you can fit in a Wal-Mart bag and tie it shut for $1.
“One of the things I like to stress to people is our business really bring a lot of people to the area,” McFarland explained, “People come regularly from Alton, Litchfield, and Bunker Hill.” When they find out the prices at the Shepard’s Closet, they always come back on a regular basis and then that means they stop and get gas or stop and eat at the local restaurants.
“We aren’t just feeding the poor, even though that is our main entity.” The money donated to the Caring Center from churches and people in the community are used to buy groceries. Donated groceries are nice, but the Caring Center can buy more for one dollar than anyone in the community can buy. That is the main reason the Caring Center appreciated money donations, so the donation can go further.
“If you plant a garden, you might as well plant a road for the center,” Delma suggested, “We have people come in the summertime that might like your surplus vegetables and food from your garden.”
The Caring Center also donates clothes to Veteran’s, local schools, and missions when there is an abundance of clothing at the Shepard’s Closet. “We have many fastens in our job and you should come check us out,” Delma closed.
The Caring Center is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
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Meet Professors and Current Students, Learn about Opportunities, Tour Campus, and Get Instant Admissions Decisions at the Events
CARLINVILLE, ILL. — Interested students and families will have two opportunities to learn more about Blackburn College this fall. The Admissions and Financial Aid teams will host Open House events on Monday, October 14, and Monday, November 11, beginning at 8:30 am. These events allow future first-time and transfer students to gather important information about the college application process.
Throughout their time on campus, prospective students and their families will explore and tour the beautiful 80-acre campus, make personal connections with current students and professors, and get to know what life is like as a Blackburn student. They will also see first-hand Blackburn’s unique approach to education—where students earn their degrees while building impactful skills and gaining real-world work experience–giving graduates a four-year head start to launch their future careers.
For Justin Norwood, Vice President for Inclusive Enrollment and a Blackburn graduate, these opportunities are valuable for prospective students and families because nothing is more important than finding a school that will be the best fit. “Finding the right college is more than just academics; it’s discovering a place where students feel supported and inspired to thrive,” Norwood said. “At Blackburn, our open house events provide an opportunity to experience what makes our community unique – the close mentoring relationships with peers and professors, the ability to build critical skills and gain real-world work experience, and a personalized financial aid approach that goes beyond affordability and is designed to meet the specific needs of every student.”
Blackburn’s Admissions and Financial Aid team will be available throughout the event to answer all your questions, including about opportunities like the Macoupin Promise – where qualified graduates of Macoupin County high schools can attend Blackburn tuition-free. For more information and to register for an event, go to blackburn.edu/visit or email admissions@blackburn.edu.
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Seven libraries in Macoupin County will welcome new visitors throughout October with a program sponsored by the region’s library system.
The 6th Annual Library Crawl invites patrons to explore new libraries throughout the Illinois Heartland Library System, which composes the southern half of the state. The Crawl also demonstrates the benefits of a library card, which allows users to check out materials from the libraries they visit.
Some 173 libraries across central and southern Illinois are taking part in the Crawl, including Gillespie, Staunton, Mount Olive, Carlinville, Brighton, Virden, and Benld. The event runs from October 1 through October 31.
The first Library Crawl was introduced in 2019 by the Bethalto Public Library, which continues to coordinate the event. The idea was designed to encourage library users to explore the resources of other libraries that are available to request and check out with a valid library card.
Twenty-eight libraries participated in that first year, a number that has now increased over six-fold.
Patrons may pick up a passport for the Crawl at any participating library, and try to visit at least five libraries during the event. A few enthusiastic individuals have actually visited every library on the Crawl in past years.
At each new library, visitors may stop at the main circulation desk to have their passports stamped. To complete the Crawl, patrons may simply return their passports to their home library.
Some libraries also offer special treats for visitors on the Crawl. After any visit to a participating library, patrons are invited to take pictures to post on social media, under the hashtag #IHLSLibraryCrawl2024.
Many libraries are closed in observance of Columbus Day on October 14, so anyone planning a visit should call ahead, to check on hours of operation.
For more information on the Crawl, visit www.illinoisheartland.org or call any of the participating libraries.
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Proceeds benefit St. Francis Cancer Center
LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor their sixth and final drive-thru dinner for 2024 on Monday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to support the hospital’s Cancer Center expansion project.
Dinners must be ordered by noon on Monday, Oct. 7. Online ordering will not be available for this final meal, but dinner may still be ordered in the hospital gift shop or by contacting Paula Endress at 217-324-8200.
The Oct. 14 drive-thru dinner pick up will take place in front of the main hospital entrance.
The meal will feature a grilled pork chop, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and a dessert. Cost per meal is $14.
For more information about HSHS St. Francis Hospital, visit stfrancis-litchfield.org.
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Bunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
Gillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
Gillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Community News3 weeks agoBunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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