By Kirk Kramer
Phoenix Staff Writer
—
Liz Roberts likes seeing the Infant Supply Closet open three days a week, but she would love to do more.
Roberts, who’s in charge of the Infant Supply Closet, needs more volunteers so the outreach can be open more hours.
The outreach operates from 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Thursday. Roberts wants to be open on Monday and Friday as well. She has four volunteers and one alternate.
“I want to keep it open five days a week if I can get enough volunteers from the churches for our clients,” Roberts said.
Roberts said the Infant Supply Closet serves people all over Muskogee County, with food, diapers, formula, clothes, blankets, and hygiene items.
“We serve infants to 4-year-olds,” she said. “It’s all about taking care of Muskogee and the people here.”
The Infant Supply Closet at Catholic Charities is sponsored by Muskogee Cooperative Ministries (MCM) and is given free space by Catholic Charities at 1220 W. Broadway.
“We are there under their gracious love, and they take care of us,” Roberts said. “We are housed in their building, but we are not under Catholic Charities. They have no say in what goes on with the Infant Supply Closet.
“The space (in their building) is their donation to Muskogee Cooperative Ministries.”
Roberts said she has been trying to break down barriers and resurrect the original connection to MCM by going to the group’s meetings.
“The response has been wonderful,” she said. “I’ve been working with Pat (Roberts, head of MCM). They did an absolutely awesome donation in January that carried us for four months.”
The donation came in the form of diapers, formula, coats, baby food and wipes. Men from the First Methodist Church made the donation.
One of the Infant Supply Closet’s clients has been Precious Porter. She cares for four of her grandchildren, including a set of 2-year-old twins.
“I didn’t want to see them split up,” she said. “I take care of them myself.”
Porter said she has received diapers and little bags of clothes from the MCM outreach at Catholic Charities.
“They are pretty nice about helping me,” she said. “I have to depend on God and trust him. If I didn’t I’d be messed up. Sometimes I don’t know how I’m going to feed them. God will make a way.”
Roberts said parents in need of help from the Infant Supply Closet should bring a referral from a social agency. It does not have to be from the Department of Human Services.
“It can be from MRMC, a church, a pregnancy center, Catholic Charities, Muskogee Cooperative Ministries,” Roberts said.
Clients are asked to bring two forms of ID.
Starting Oct. 1, clients can be served once a month.
Information: 681-6115.
You can help
Infant Supply Closet, an outreach of Muskogee Cooperative Ministries for needy children from newborns through age 4, needs volunteers. Call 681-6115.
Reach Kirk Kramer at 684-2901 or kkramer@muskogeephoenix.com.
