She fit right in quickly and further discussion led to Wisler agreeing to oversee a clothing ministry at the church to help those in need. The church closed in 2014, but a group of men purchased the building and Wisler’s volunteering effort continues today as organizer of the Shepherd’s Closet, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in the summer.

Twice a month, the second Saturday and third Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., anyone can visit the church and peruse donated clothing of all sizes and styles, shoes, jewelry, small appliances, toys, stuffed animals and more, all free of charge.

“I always wanted to volunteer and serve and help,” said Wisler. “That’s just me. I’m no good if I can’t be helping somebody do something better for their life. When this opportunity came about, it was something easy for me to do for people all around the community. That’s how this all got started.”

The Shepherd’s Closet falls under the umbrella of The Gathering Place, a faith-based nonprofit operating multiple charitable faith-based endeavors.

Making the clothing ministry work, however, is not a one-woman job. In fact, about 12 volunteers currently help sort and organize clothes, help people find what they’re looking for, carry bags out to vehicles, greet people and various other roles.

Pat Lombardo, a retired Lehighton Area School District paraprofessional, met Wisler at a local gym in Lehighton, where the two struck a conversation that ended with Lombardo volunteering as well.

“We have a lot of fun,” Lombardo said about the relationships she has made helping with Shepherd’s Closet. “It’s a good social outing. You get to meet people in this community and surrounding communities. Sometimes you see people you know. This isn’t just for down on their luck people. It’s for anyone. I’ve gotten quite a few things here.”

Beverly Moser, who serves on the mission committee at Zion United Church of Christ in Lehighton, initially helped out collecting mittens and gloves, as well as food for the pantry located at The Gathering Place.

“I’ve volunteered in the past at other churches and Nancy Koch, who was volunteering here, asked if we had some time to give and I’ve been involved ever since,” Moser said.

Outside of its set hours twice a month, Shepherd’s Closet does open in emergency situations, such as when a local family loses belongings in a fire. That very situation happened 8 times in 2021, according to Wisler.

“That’s really when we realized we needed more than just clothes here,” she said. “When there is a fire, people don’t just lose the clothes off their back. They may need a toaster just to make a little toast for themselves or the children. Kids can come in and get a stuffed animal. Anything to help during a difficult time.”

Like any organization, Shepherd’s Closet could use more volunteers, particularly men who can help carry bulky items.

“A lot of times we’ll get big bags of donations or there is a lot of heavy lifting involved,” Lombardo said. “Trying to drag those around is tough sometimes. Also having someone to help set up tables would be beneficial.”

One of the most devoted volunteers, Ann Marie DeMarcantonio, died in late September due to complications related to COVID-19.

“We miss her,” Lombardo said. “She was a work hose. She would come in and get everyone moving. She had her way of going through all the bags of donations. You can’t mention the volunteers here without talking about her.”

Beyond the Shepherd’s Closet, the Gathering Place offers many other ministries including an anger management class, a monthly healthy cooking class, ladies bible study every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., a free takeout dinner every fourth Saturday from 4-5:30 p.m., a food pantry open every fourth Saturday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and every second Saturday and third Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., men’s bible study ever Wednesday at 7 p.m., and art class every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m.

“We still have a lot of needs, mainly volunteers to help with Shepherd’s Closet and the take out dinners,” Wisler said. “We’re also looking for someone to administrate a grief class, which we had requests for especially around the holidays. We’re always looking for monthly financial partners such as churches to help us with maintenance costs for the mission.”

For more information, contact Wisler at 610-377-5395, or visit the Gathering Place website at www.gatheringplacemission.com.