Community Cares Closet Has Families Covered
Did you know that on average, it is estimated that only 20 to 30 percent of the clothes in a person’s closet are actually worn on a regular basis? That means almost everyone has something in their closet that could be spared and shared with someone in need.
On January 31, 2017, that idea was put into action and celebrated at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the CCSD59 Community Cares Closet (CCC).
Although it is physically housed at the Ridge Family Center for Learning, the CCC is open to all CCSD59 families that may need assistance with clothes. Each school’s social worker can make a confidential referral for district families to utilize the CCC.
“Our students cannot be expected to do their best in school until their basic needs are met,” said Nelly Perez, CCSD59 Outreach Specialist. “We provide this service free of charge, to the families of our students in need.”
The CCC has a wide selection of new or gently used clothing in sizes for both children and adults, including winter apparel of all kinds, shoes, baby clothes, backpacks, school supplies, and much more.
Community outreach specialists Anabel Hodges, Nelly Perez, and Melissa Tejeda and family facilitator Marlyn Orozco, who developed the CCC, have been amazed by the assistance from the community.
“It is inspiring to see how generous people can be,” said Hodges, “and we are very proud of how this has brought everybody together.” Tejeda echoed the sentiment, saying “we are just overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve received.”
People who wish to donate any new or gently used clothing or shoes are welcomed to do so. Donators can contact any of the community outreach specialists directly or email care@ccsd59.org to schedule a pickup.
“With everyone working together, we can be certain it will make a difference in our community,” said Orozco. “If we help meet the basic needs of our families, we’re giving our students the opportunity to be successful for life.”