Life Dealt A Bad Hand
Meet Jessica: her story is one of sorrow, displacement, and survival.

Jessica moved her family back to the area to take care of her dying mother. The stress of caring for a terminally ill person caused problems in her marriage-her husband left her and their children.

Jessica’s mother died the day after Thanksgiving from cancer. The day of her mother’s funeral, Jessica’s house burned down, leaving the grieving family with nothing but the clothing they were wearing (which is all they had to wear to the funeral that day).

Jessica and her children spent their Christmas crammed into a hotel room, where they resided until their house was rebuilt. Our job at the Community Clothes Closet was to help Jessica and her children find clothing items and linens that would help them to begin a new life.

One Life to Live
It was a Thursday morning, just like any other Thursday morning, then it began to unravel. Several of our key volunteers called in for various reasons and we were now short of help.  I glanced out the window to see the long line of clients that went all the way to the end of the building and began wrapping around the corner of it. 

It was extremely busy that day. The line of clients never seemed to end. Soon I found myself behind the client service counter checking people out. Of course it is not difficult to check clients out because there is no money involved – everything is free! 

Then it happened, a lady came to the counter and she placed her neatly folded clothing into piles to be checked out.  We smiled at each other, soon a conversation took place.  “Do you have any sheets?” she asked.  “Yes, we do, what size do you need?” I inquired.  We quickly got her the size she needed.  She was thrilled with the choice of color; her son was going to love them! She went on to say her eleven year old son is now confined to a hospital bed with a fatal muscular disease.  “I was able to get him the hospital bed from another non-profit agency,” she said with a smile on her face.  Now she needed sheets because her son was sleeping on a blanket and it was irritating his skin.  We talked about her situation and she told us her son had asked, ”Mom, am I going to die?” Her response to him was, “Honey, we are all going to die sometime. It is important that you make the most of each day you have here on earth.”  

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.  This mother is struggling to make ends meet, taking care of a terminally ill child – yet she has such a positive outlook on life! The words stayed with me all day and her smile flashed through my mind. She truly is a woman of strength and courage.

A Son’s Love
For several months an elderly, blind woman was faithfully brought
to the  Community Clothes Closet by her loving son, Steve.  He would
carefully guide her  through the shopping floor looking for clothing for her. 

Often he would enlist the help of a CCC volunteer to find the appropriate clothing that would fit his mother.

Then one day things changed for Steve—he hurt his arm while on the job.  He tried to keep working, but couldn’t.  The bills started to mount up, and he needed an operation.  Shortly thereafter, his mother had a stroke and the added expenses for her health problems drained Steve’s  finances. Now it was necessary for Steve to become a client of the CCC as well. We would then watch him lovingly lead his Mom through the CCC as they shopped together, even though she could barely walk.  It was bittersweet to see the two of them.

Steve’s mom is now in a nursing home, but Steve still shops for her at the CCC. In addition to that, Steve has just become a new volunteer at the Community Clothes Closet.

A Guarded Heart 
Meet Edith, one of our clients: she is in her 70s, homeless and lives at a local shelter. 

Edith needs a walker to get around and roams the streets during the daytime with plastic bags full of her belongings tied to her walker.  Edith has a difficult life and has a hard edge about her, but once you get to know Edith, you see she is just trying to make the best of her hard life. As a matter of fact, Edith describes herself as a “walking miracle.” Even a guarded heart can be melted when kindness is show.

Up in Flames
Ring, ring…”Community Clothes Closet, how may I help you?” There was silence on the other end of the phone line.  “May I help you?” I asked again.  A feeble sounding voice responded, “I need help...my house burned down...I lost everything.”   “… I’m sorry, we will be glad to help you.” I replied.  The caller continued to explain that she was living in a mobile home and it burned up the night before.  She had no insurance because the mobile home was so old. She was staying at her landlord’s home sleeping on the sofa until she could find a place to live.  At that point she began sobbing uncontrollably.  My heart broke for her in this monumental life challenge. 

I assured her we would help her any way we could. I asked, “Is there anyone else in your family that needs help?” Again the tears began, her boyfriend had just left her a week before the fire. She was all alone. I listened as she talked and when she gained composure I asked her what sizes of clothing she needed. I told her we would make sure she got some brand new clothing items. She gave me a list of clothing items, which included blankets, pillows, sheets and household items. 

The staff gathered up the items, choosing only the best for this dear woman in great need. The woman came into the CCC and was thrilled with the items, she even selected a few more things. We asked if there was anything she really wanted and curiously she said a photo album. When all your worldly possessions have been taken from you, your memories are what help you get through it. That new album, along with the new clothing would help her build new memories. Thanks to caring donors, volunteers and staff at the CCC, she can take a step toward rebuilding her life.

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See what our clients have to say:

“I want people out there who donate and volunteer to know they are making a difference and I’m grateful. I'm so thankful it’s there.” Jill

“Sometimes I feel discriminated against out in public, but I don't feel that way when I come to the Community Clothes Closet.” George

“I come here to get clothing and compassion. They are never judgmental and I leave with a positive boost.” Anna

“I want to thank everyone who helps at the CCC. I have made bad financial choices in my life, but everyone at the CCC makes me feel wonderful. I am grateful when I can get myself something pretty and then I feel better about myself.” Sandy