These colorful toys are just waiting to make some child happy. The Angel Mission Free Store in Calumet has a room in the back with free toys and books for children. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)CALUMET -- The Angel Mission Free Store at the corner of Fifth and Portland streets in Calumet is a great place to find anything from jackets and coats to shoes, clothing, household items and kids' toys and books. Groceries are also available on request from its food pantry.
You might just stop in to say hi to a volunteer friend, as Bob LaBonté of Calumet did recently, and find a surprise treasure like the Green Bay Packers jacket LaBonté discovered right in the front of the store.
Angel Mission Free Store volunteer Rena Kurburski of Tapiola helps Bob LaBonté of Calumet choose a Green Bay Packers jacket from the Free Store's rack of second-hand coats and jackets. Not only did it fit, but it was free!
"Rena is a very good friend," LaBonté said of Rena Kurburski of Tapiola, who volunteers in the Free Store on Thursdays. "She spends a lot of time at our house."
LaBonté said he and his wife, C. J. LaBonté, occasionally take items from the store "only if needed," because they're aware that other people may have more needs.
The Angel Mission Free Store is filled with used clothing as well as household items like those pictured here on the shelves. It's a great place to recycle something you never use that just might be another person's treasure.Kurburski said many people volunteer at the Free Store, which is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The volunteers wait on customers, sort items, remove garbage, etc. People can donate re-usable items or non-perishable food for the pantry.
"We also take monetary donations because we have rent and utilities to pay for," Kurburski explained.
The monetary donations also allow the mission to help people who can't pay their utility bills.
During the summer the store was open on Saturdays; but so far no one has replaced the Saturday volunteers, who have gone south for the winter.
"If somebody wants to volunteer for Saturdays, we would be happy to have them," Kurburski said.
Donations of used and usable children's toys and books are always welcome at the Free Store. Now at Thanksgiving time, the Angel Mission would appreciate donations of non-perishable food items or cash to supplement their $100-a-month food budget. Although food items are not displayed on the shelves, customers can ask for a bag of groceries and a staff member will give them one from the food pantry.
"The more donations we have, the more people we can feed," Kurburski noted.
Another project for the holidays is the Angel Tree in the window of the Free Store. Anyone can take an angel ornament representing a needy child in the community and buy a couple of gifts for that child.
The Angel Tree welcomes donors willing to purchase holiday gifts for needy boys and girls of various ages.The angel indicates the age and sometimes the size of the boy or girl so that donors can purchase new Christmas gifts and bring them to the store by the second week in December to be delivered to that child on Christmas. The gifts can be wrapped or unwrapped.
The Angel Mission Free Store is at 201 Fifth St. in Calumet (at the corner of 5th and Portland streets). Donations of used items can be taken to the store. Cash donations can also be offered inside the store or sent in the form of a check or money order to the Copper Country Christian Fellowship (CCCF), 301 Sixth St., Calumet, MI 49913 -- sponsors of the Free Store.
CCCF to hold Thanksgiving Community Dinner Nov. 26
The Copper Country Christian Fellowship will hold a Community Dinner at 4:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day -- Thursday, Nov. 26, at 301 Sixth St., next to Newman's Appliance in Calumet. All are welcome. Please RSVP if you wish to attend by calling 337-3864 and stating the number coming.
CCCF holds services at 6 p.m. every Sunday at this same location, 301 Sixth St.
The Fellowship is a Presbyterian-based, ecumenical storefront church next to Newman's Appliance.
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