Frumper Sighting! Fundie Sighting! Multiple!

[emmiedahl]

So, a church in the area does an annual clothing exchange, in which you bring your own crap and trade it for other people's crap.

I got a few needed items but OMG there were so many long-skirt people and TONS of frumpers. I thought about getting one just in case the Maxwells ever come to my area, but I really needed jeans. Sorry guys. :(

So, the clothing exchange is run by a Presbyterian church. I don't want to snark on their kindness, but I absolutely will snark on the lady who blocked the door and insisted that every person coming in give her a hug first. :roll: Not a hugger here, awkward moment. I also had to endure facefull of her overly sprayed and scrunched hair.

Inside, they were blasting Christian music. I think it might be contemporary Christian, although I am not too familiar with the genre. That song "Holy, holy, holy" was one of the picks.

When you come in, you turn in your castoffs at one table and get a bag to fill with your own finds. They tuck flyers in the bags--multiple flyers in each bag. Most were in Spanish (they are on the Hispanic side of town) but the English one had some crap about, "Just like this clothing is free, Jesus's love is free!"

There was a guy taking pictures, whom I avoided, and when I went home I googled it. They put pictures of teh poor peoplez on their website along with stuff about how they are fulfilling God's commands, etc. It's nice that they volunteer their gym and administer the event, but really? Most of the clothing is brought by the same people taking it. I don't think you get to be all "OMG We clothed the poor!" Most of the clothes were in sad shape, but I DID get a pair of pants. Lots o' frumpers there, though. I mean, I could have chosen from denim, plaid, corduroy, calico... those were just the ones in a women's medium.

I think it's a nice gesture, but I was a little annoyed. Yeah. I guess I am an ungrateful bitch, but really, can I trade my outgrown jeans for a pair that fits without getting a sermon?

These types of events are always what comes to my mind when people start talking about churches taking over charity. As a poor person, please NO in the name of all that is good and holy. Please, atheists, can you take over some of this crap? I would rather get my castoff jeans with a flyer about Stephen Hawking. Just sayin'.

[Kitty]

I would totally do that, but I'm worried that I'd just be stuck with my clothes since I wear such a small size. :(

Also, religious people who make a big deal of their charity stuff annoy me. It's like they're patting themselves on the back, just some more points to get into heaven... Atheists, we really gotta step it up on the charity front.

[Guest Anonymous]

We've got a couple of churches in town that do food boxes. The RCC is actually kool, and they let you 'shop' for personal care items. The Presbys are always putting papers in the boxes and asking you to come to one of their 'evening studies' and letting you know they'll have food. I've explained to the fellow who seems to be the overlord, that I'm an atheist and the reason I am one is I've gone the bible study route, and then some. Pesky little gnat, he's been giving me the same pitch every week. I finally stopped going there.

[emmiedahl]

I have never gotten food from a church unless you count the Salvation Army. I dunno, I am a little afraid of church ladies. If I were starving I suppose it would be worth the sermon and the hug.

Kitty, if you have a clothing exchange in your community, I suggest going. There were tons of clothes in smaller sizes (including ones from me) mainly because smaller teenaged girls usually get bigger eventually.

I got a pair of jeans that fit! They probably aren't what I would have chosen, they make my butt look a bit flat, but I am so happy just to have a pair of jeans. lol. It made my day and almost made up for the squicky hug. I also got a pair of pants that are black skinny jeans that are tye-bleached. Is that a word? They were the only other pants in my size that were not of the mom jeans variety, so I decided I can make them work.

[Kitty]

I have never gotten food from a church unless you count the Salvation Army. I dunno, I am a little afraid of church ladies. If I were starving I suppose it would be worth the sermon and the hug.

Kitty, if you have a clothing exchange in your community, I suggest going. There were tons of clothes in smaller sizes (including ones from me) mainly because smaller teenaged girls usually get bigger eventually.

I got a pair of jeans that fit! They probably aren't what I would have chosen, they make my butt look a bit flat, but I am so happy just to have a pair of jeans. lol. It made my day and almost made up for the squicky hug. I also got a pair of pants that are black skinny jeans that are tye-bleached. Is that a word? They were the only other pants in my size that were not of the mom jeans variety, so I decided I can make them work.

All of the churches/charities in my hometown do food drives; I've never heard of clothing exchanges up there or around here. Then again, I don't pay much attention to churches period.

And it's awesome you didn't get mom jeans. They're never worth it. Ever. They can't possibly be comfortable anyway. I don't know how my mom put up with them until so recently.