The Clothes Closet at Newington Baptist Church, Gloucester, has donated well over seven million articles of clothing since it began in 1998. This past Sunday, the church held a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the mission, which is sponsored by the Woman’s Missionary Union of Newington.

According to Jerry Young, director of the ministry, more than 1,000 families are registered at the clothes closet. She said the number of articles of clothing given away over the years doesn’t count the hundreds of articles donated to other organizations such as DAV, Goodwill and others from the Clothes Closet.

Young said it has been a blessing for all of the volunteers who dedicate their time twice a month to hand out clothes to those in need in the community. “We give away clothing and we receive a blessing,” she said.

She said the opportunity also comes up to establish relationships with the clients. “There have been times when some just want to talk about ...