Ryan Wheet (right), 19, and Jacob Embry, 17, both of Bowling Green, shop Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at The Salvation Army Thrift Store.

The Salvation Army is changing its thrift store to a clothing closet where people with certain vouchers that indicate a genuine need can get free clothes.

According to Maj. Stephen Story with The Salvation Army, the decision to change the thrift store to a clothing closet stems from a desire to do more for the community.

“We’re looking at refocusing our mission to do the most good with the resources that’s entrusted to us by the community. And so to kind of get back to that mission, we’re just refocusing on providing free clothing to people who qualify for that versus selling clothing,” he said.

Once the transition is complete, the clothing closet will provide free clothes to people with clothing vouchers from social workers with The Salvation Army’s community partners like HOTEL INC, Barren River Area Safe Space and the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.

“We’re going to be reaching out to the agency partners that we work with and if they have people who they feel are in need of clothing assistance, they’ll reach out to us and we’ll make arrangements for that,” he said.

The thrift store, 400 W. Main Ave., will close for good on Friday so The Salvation Army can reorganize it, Story said.

The clothing closet is expected to open July 13 after a readjustment process, he said.

The Salvation Army is prepared to lose the stream of revenue the thrift store provides because it plans to focus more on fundraising, Story said.

While the thrift store is operated by The Salvation Army employees, volunteers will run the clothing closet, Story said.

This will result in The Salvation Army laying off five employees, he said, adding that The Salvation Army plans to help them find employment opportunities elsewhere.

“We are working with them in that transition,” he said.

During the reorganization, Story said The Salvation Army asks that people call to inquire about donating clothes because the reorganization process will make taking donations more difficult.

After the thrift store has fully transitioned into a clothing closet, the process of donation will be different, he said.

“Due to the use of a limited pool of volunteers, the clothing closet’s only going to be open certain days out of the week and so when it’s open, people can come by and drop off gently used clothing,” he said.

Story said people can drop off donations on Wednesdays. People with vouchers can pick out items on Fridays. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon both days.

“Once the shift has been made and that program is up and running, people can bring those items by on the days that we’re open,” he said.