Clothing Cottage reopens

After temporarily closing last November, the Clothing Cottage has a new home in Mentor.

The Cottage reopened Jan. 23 at 9354 Mentor Ave., Unit 7.

“It was a long and arduous process, but we are excited about the new location,” said Gloria Toth, who is a board member.

A search committee was formed and that panel explored numerous properties.

“We looked at many, many places,” she said. “I actually began looking at this spot when I saw that they were remodeling Rich’s Lounge up front, so thought maybe that would be a possibility. When I contacted Joe Longo and talked to him about it, he said that he had this space, which might be better for us. He has been very generous.”

The new store is smaller than the previous Painesville Township location, but the Clothing Cottage Committee Vice Chairwoman Candie Powell said they did not need that much space.

“A smaller space reduces the rent and overhead expenses, which is good,” Powell said.

The store was completely remodeled and is filled with a variety of gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories and shoes.

“Change is not always easy, but this is an exciting change,” said Dee Cann, who is the vice president of Christ Child Society.

Cann encourages people to come and check out their new store.

The Cottage is operated by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve, one of a national network of chapters whose mission is to serve children in Lake County. All proceeds from the Cottage are used to fund numerous charitable operations of the Christ Child Society.

With the motto, “Nothing is ever too much to do for a child,” the Christ Child Society offers many programs, including eye screenings for Lake County preschoolers; layettes for new mothers; bereavement layettes; support for Birthright Lake, Inc. and Neveah Ridge; scholarships and camperships for youth; tutoring for school-age students; and clothing for children in need.

The Cottage is preparing for its grand opening event from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 10. It will feature refreshments, raffles and store specials.

The Clothing Cottage only accepts cash or checks, and regular business hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays to Saturdays. Clothing donations can be dropped off anytime during business hours.