Catie’s Closet seeking outerwear for children in need this winterDate: 11/20/2023 With freezing weather here once again, it is common to see school children bundled up in coats, hats and gloves as they make their way to school, but many families in Western Massachusetts are struggling to make ends meet. One nonprofit organization is seeking clothing and outerwear for children in need.
Catie’s Closet CEO Mickey Cockrell said people find themselves struggling financially for many reasons, from losing a job or experiencing a house fire, to leaving an unsafe environment or having recently immigrated to the country. With the influx of refugees to Massachusetts this year, she said about half the people helped by the organization are immigrants and half are local people who are “stuck in … or sliding into a financial hardship.”
Cockrell said, “No matter where those people come from … you all need the same things.” The first priority for families in need is housing, followed by food, she said, adding, “There is no money left over for clothes or essentials.”
Catie’s Closet is a nonprofit organization that provides free clothing and essentials to students aged 3 to 18 who are facing poverty, homelessness and other crises.
There are two main programs run by Catie’s Closet. The first is the In-School Closet program. The organization works with schools in which 50% of families are economically disadvantaged.
A room in the school is set up to resemble a store, with clothing arranged by size. The items are free to students, who can “shop” as frequently as needed. Cockrell said there is not a stigma attached to using the closet, because other students are using it, too. “It’s more common to need than not need,” she said. Instead of leading to teasing, using the closet builds camaraderie among the students, she said.
“It lets [students] know people care about these children,” Cockrell said. She added, “An education is surely the path out of poverty,” and providing necessities allows children to stay in school. So far, the closets are in nine area schools, from Holyoke to Springfield.
The SOS Urgent Response program serves the needs of children who are suddenly displaced or otherwise unexpectedly in need. Cockrell called it “the Bat Phone” — a call comes in with the ages and needs of the child and two weeks-worth of clothing and essentials are put together for them.
Students who are not eligible for the In-School Closet due to the 50% low-income threshold, may still be eligible for the SOS Urgent Response program.
A 10,000-square-foot distribution center was opened in East Longmeadow this year. It was designed to support up to 50,000 children in schools across Western Massachusetts.
“We can’t believe how the needs seem to grow exponentially,” said Cockrell. She said children always need the basics: tops, bottoms, hoodies, T-shirts and sweatpants. The organization also has a need for new, unworn underwear and socks. With the turn of the season, however, she said there is a great need for outerwear, including coats, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens, as well as boots.
“Every single kid needs a new pair of shoes,” she said.
Catie’s Closet also provides school-aged children with toiletries, including toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant. Cockrell said that while Catie’s Closet has always supplied shampoo, it was not until a student asked about shampoo for natural hair that she considered the different needs of those students. “Natural hair can require up to six products to keep it hydrated and healthy,” Cockrell said. As a result, Catie’s Closet began a program called
“Hair Care for All,” a partnership with the House of Cheatham, a personal and beauty care company to provide bundles of hair care products for the maintenance and styling needs of students with natural and textured hair at a wholesale discounted cost, as well as educational resources to learn how to use the products.
“We don’t take anything to do with the home,” Cockrell said, including linens and towels. The organization accepts baby clothes, but not playpens, cribs or highchairs. Anything Catie’s Closet receives that it cannot use in its In-School Closet or SOS Urgent Response programs is donated to other organizations that do accept the items.
When asked about helping adults, Cockrell said, “If we’re helping a child, we’re helping a family, if there is one.”
The organization has seen needs increase as inflation and other economic factors have impacted local families. “We’re running out of product very fast in East Longmeadow,” Cockrell said. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Cockrell said, just 10% of the items supplied by Catie’s Closet were purchased, and 90% came donations. Now, she said, donations only account for 70% of the items.
Individuals who want to help can do so in many ways. Donations can be dropped off at the East Longmeadow distribution center, 16 Deer Park Dr., between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is a “donation button on the organization website for those looking to give monetarily.
To make sure the items purchased for donation are what is needed by the community, people can shop from the organization’s Amazon Wishlist by visiting the website and choosing the area they wish to help. The items will be shipped directly to the area’s distribution center. People can also volunteer or host a drive. Information on all options to help is available at catiescloset.org/get-involved.
Cockrell said what makes Catie’s Closet different is that people are helping their neighbors. “There are many places to give, and we respect that, but everything people give to Catie’s Closet stays local,” she said. “We want people’s generosity to benefit their own community.”
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