Shopping is free at FROG
Come as you are, take what you need. That's how Dawn Clark runs her ministry, and it's how she lives her life.

KELLY CUCULIANSKY - STAFF WRITER
March 25, 2008; Page 01C

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- NEW SMYRNA BEACH - It's a sunny morning as Bobby Yarborough rides his bicycle to the tiny shop dotted with whimsical paintings of frogs.

He's not looking for anything in particular, but is coming in to say hi to Dawn Clark while she sorts through piles of donations. Among the clutter of stuffed animals, pants, T-shirts and other free stuff is a single pair of hiking boots.

"Size 9. You want them?" asks Clark.

Yarborough, whose face reflects a hard life, looks down at his beat-up sneakers and takes the almost-new shoes in hand. It's a blessed find for him to coincidentally be a matching fit with FROG Ministry's only pair of hiking boots.

The street ministry has been giving away free stuff to people like Yarborough for almost three years, with no questions asked. But it's not just about meeting material needs. Volunteers like Clark serve a side of love and Jesus to anyone who needs it.

"She's a wonderful lady," Yarborough said. "She does it with her heart - that is the main thing."

Yarborough has known Clark since the days when she gave away clothes on the side of the road under a tent. The idea to give up her job as an esthetician to start FROG Ministry, which stands for Forever Relying on God, came to her about three years ago when she decided she wanted to become a better part of society.

She prayed about it and soon the idea for the FROG acronym came to her sister, Debbie Hurst. They made business cards and prayed some more.

"I really wanted to get closer to the people, so I said 'God, what do I do next?' " Clark said. "He said to share."

She began by giving away clothing on the weekends under the South Causeway bridge, but soon butted heads with people who opposed her location.

Moving from property to property in her donated van, cluttered with frog toys on the dashboard, she found a beneficiary in December to pay for the tiny, one-room storefront on West Canal Street.

After talking to her husband, Chip, about finances, the couple agreed it was feasible for Clark to quit her job. And so the FROG shop was born.

It runs on faith, she said. "That's the whole symbol behind the frog. Take the leap of faith."

The shop, open daily, is mainly stocked with donations from the Women's Care Center Resale Shop. It is staffed by a core group of volunteers, Clark said. Their only payment: "gratification from God."

Drivers tend to slow down by the little place with hand painted images of goofy looking frogs. As many as 30 people a day poke their heads inside to find out if everything in there really is free.

It's a difficult concept for most to grasp, said Clark. "They're stunned into silence for about two to three minutes before they go 'OK, what do you mean?'

"I keep no log," she explains. "Jesus didn't keep a log."

Plastic shopping bags hang near the door, which is usually wide open to let the breeze inside.

Donations flow in, out and sometimes spill onto the property.

Some folks misunderstand the notion of getting something for nothing. They confusingly dig through FROG's garbage instead of the piles of clothes inside. At night, hoodlums have torn up bags of donated items that were dropped off after-hours, leaving the clothing to soak up the rain.

Once a customer himself, Tim Campbell began volunteering to straighten things up at the shop regularly with Clark, he said. "One day I was in desperate need of some clothes and showed up on her doorstep. She's kind of like a den mom."

Many types of people show up at FROG for various reasons. Some are needy or homeless, others are the brake-for-yard-sale shoppers. There's even an occasional hoarder. Clark said she tries to let their conscience be their guide.

On Saturday nights, folks also gather there for some free hotdogs and church fellowship. They sit outside in plastic lawn chairs to chat and pray.

In between games of manhunt, neighborhood children stop by to hang out, help and do a little decorating. Noel La Joie, 14, and her 16-year-old brother, Vincent Perales, have painted crosses on the walls outside.

"It's fun," said Noel, as she stopped by on a recent Saturday night fellowship. "Me and my brother come and hang out here because Dawn is like our second mother."

Their mom, Doreen Baker, said she's proud of what her kids do at FROG.

"They go over there and donate their time, help them unload things and get things out of vehicles."

It's not only a "solid place" for them to go, she said. It's a community builder.

FROG Ministry

MORE INFORMATION: Call 386-846-8640.

April 2^nd, 2008
Story Of The Week
Repeat of Story

April 27^th, 2008
Leap of Faith
Code enforcement finds fault with ministry's work outdoors

KELLY CUCULIANSKY - STAFF WRITER
April 27, 2008; Page 01J

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Frog Ministry's pad has run afoul of the city's code enforcement department.

In recent months Frog, which stands for Forever Relying On God, has nearly doubled its operation of giving away clothes, toys and food to those in need in the West Canal Street area. But with a roughly 300-square-foot building, it's difficult to contain its daily philanthropy within four walls.

To make do with the overwhelming response from the community, Dawn Clark, who runs the shop with volunteers, has sorted through donations outside the building under a few tents since opening late last year. During Saturday night fellowship, free food also has been traditionally cooked and served outdoors for the homeless and folks from the neighborhood.

The open-air street ministry, where no questions are asked, is what makes it a welcoming atmosphere for people in need, Clark said. But to abide by the city code, that will have to change.

A notice of violation was recently sent to the owner of the building. Frog Ministry, which leases the site, must remove its canopies and outdoor displays.

On April 22, Clark and volunteers began removing the outdoor seating and tables where patrons relaxed under canopy tents and sipped free soda. The tents, which don't meet the 120-mph wind-load requirement from the city, protected donations and volunteers from the elements as they sorted through winter and summer clothing.

Clark said she understands the city rules and wants to comply, but is still at a loss for space and the community's continued need for Frog's help.

"There is no way we can take this work inside," said Clark, adding the building lease cannot be cut short. "People are literally falling over each other (in the building) now."

To comply, Clark has begun sorting donations inside her van.

She and her husband, Chip, and other volunteers, are talking about the possibility of planting a privacy hedge and erecting an awning. They are also discussing using a large umbrella to give volunteers shade under a table during shop hours. After closing, everything would be stored in the building.

Code Enforcement Officer Lynne Kunkle said she wants to give the shop time to comply with city rules. She said organizers must move the entire operation indoors, with the exception of Saturday evening picnics as long as parking doesn't become an issue.

Another problem, however, includes operating the ministry in a mixed zoning district. Kunkle said in order to have a church or ministry in this area, Frog, which currently operates under a retail use, would need a special exception granted from the city's Board of Adjustments.

But the Clarks argue that all they're doing at the site is giving away free stuff.

"We're just down there loving on people and if people want to talk and share Jesus, there's no law against it," said Chip Clark. "We're not having church services there. There's no pulpit. There's no collection plate."

Having a presence outside is a main part of helping people in need, said volunteer Neil Lacey.

"Jesus didn't just work inside a building. He went into the highways and byways."

Lacey also said that any church services associated with Frog are conducted in people's homes and not on the property.

Kunkle said the organization would have a better chance at getting a special exception to operate a church or ministry there if an addition is made to the building. Volunteers have discussed that option, but are not comfortable adding on to someone else's building.

The giveaways, which began under a tent on the side of the road on the weekends, has grown beyond the organizers' expectations. The ministry now serves scores of people throughout Volusia County and as far away as Flagler County in newfound ways.

Jason Kehrer is one who has benefited from the little shop. The former homeless man arrived in New Smyrna Beach in March.

A month later, the man who had never been on the streets before, has a roof over his head through a Frog supporter, new clothes and a lead for a job from someone who stopped by to drop off donations.

"I can't imagine anyone griping about this place," Kehrer said as he volunteered one afternoon. "This place is actually helping to clean up the town."

Cutline: Photo 1: Dawn Clark stands outside the Frog Ministry on West Canal Street. Frog (Forever Relying On God) gives away free clothes and toys to whoever stops in, with no questions asked.

Journal/ KELLY CUCULIANSKY

Photo 2: Dawn Clark and Tim Campbell sort through donations outside the Frog Ministry shop. According to code enforcement, the outdoor canopies and displays must be removed.

Journal/ KELLY CUCULIANSKY