Talk about a walk-in closet. When Ruhl's Church hosts its annual clothing giveaway, the selection will fill the gym at the church, located at 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim.

God's Clothing Closet, featuring free clothing, footwear and accessories for people of all ages, will be held on Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24. Friday's event will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. by appointment only. On Saturday, the giveaway will be open from 8 to 11 a.m., and no appointment is necessary. To make an appointment for Friday, call or text 717-201-7566.

"This is our 24th year of God's Clothing Closet," said Kris Gray, who is chairing the event with Barb Dunmire. "Our volunteers put in hundreds of hours sorting clothing and getting everything ready."

All clothing is inspected to be sure it's clean and in good condition, she said. "We have clothing in all sizes, all seasons," Gray noted. "This is some great 'new to you' clothing, and everybody's welcome."

At least half of the gym is filled with women's clothing, with clothing for men and children sharing the other half, Gray said. "We get prom gowns. We've had wedding dresses, fancy dress clothes, maternity clothes, nursing scrubs," Gray said. "The whole family can get something."

A table of free devotional materials will be set up for shoppers to peruse, and food donations will be collected for the Manheim Central Food Pantry if shoppers wish to bring some. Food donations are not required to attend the event.

"Back to school is right around the corner, and there is a need for something like this in the community," Dunmire said. "Back-to-school shopping can be very expensive."

Last year, the church served about 443 shoppers over the two-day event. Shoppers donated a box of food to the pantry as well as close to $200 in cash to purchase more Bibles.

It takes a lot of help to be able to provide God's Clothing Closet for the community, Gray said. Last year, more than 50 volunteers donated more than 300 hours of their time from setup to cleanup. Nothing goes to waste with the giveaway, either. Leftovers are donated to Jubilee Ministries in Manheim.

Although it requires time and effort to host God's Clothing Closet, it's important to the members of Ruhl's Church, who are always looking for ways to connect with the larger community. The giveaway provides an opportunity to support people in need while also raising awareness of the church and bringing people into the building, who may then seek additional information on the church, its services and its outreach programs.

Gray explained that the inspiration for the giveaway came from another service project of the church. For years, church members collected clothing to donate to a mission in Appalachia, but the expense of sending the clothing added up. When Gray started talking to local families that participated in a meal giveaway at the church, she realized the church could make an impact in its own community.

Although the giveaway is open to anyone regardless of need, it is especially impactful to see how the free items positively affect some of the shoppers, Gray said.

"We feel really blessed to be able to do this event," she explained. "There are so many people who are in need. So many stories come back to us from people saying how much this meant to them. People look you in the eye when they leave and say, 'Thank you. This was a big help for us.'"

Clothing donations for God's Clothing Closet will be accepted at the church beginning on Monday, Aug. 19. Donations may be left under the covered front porch at the church, and labeling the bag with the size and type of clothing is helpful.