During the holiday season, our thoughts often turn to supporting local organizations and families in the community. Since 2012, Community Clothes Closet (CCC) has been providing clothing to families in Denton and surrounding counties at no charge. Each month, CCC serves over 170 families, and since its founding, has provided over 1 million pieces of clothing to local families, all through the support and donations of those in the community.
“Joanna Johnson and I have a huge passion for our community,” shares Gwen St Clair, CCC’s Executive Coordinator. “Our mission is a very simple one; to provide free clothing to families in our communities so that they can have clothing to wear to school, work, and in general life and feel proud about it.”
A recent initiative of CCC is to bring awareness of clothing insecurity within the local community and what that means for families. “Clothing insecurity is very real. It is students who skip class because they don't have clean clothes, parents who choose between a meal or a coat, and job seekers passed over because they don't look the part,” shares Joanna Johnson, Executive Director. “We at the Community Clothes Closet believe that everyone deserves dignity, confidence, and warmth, no matter their circumstances.”
An annual program CCC hosts is the Back-to-School event, where each child receives new socks, underwear, and a pair of new shoes. The organization spends close to $20,000 to purchase the items. An important aspect of the program is bringing pride and joy to kids by providing a pair of new shoes still in the box, which may seem insignificant to some, but makes a huge impact on the kids.
“Shoes in a box for a child means that they are brand new and not something that was picked up on a shelf that has been worn,” explains Gwen. “Kids really respond to that, and we have heard them say, ‘Look, mom, it's in a box!’”
In addition to the outreach of providing free clothing, CCC has opened The Store at CCC, which sells new items that have been donated by patrons and from local retail stores with overflow inventory. The proceeds from The Store provide additional support for the daily operations of CCC.
As a nonprofit organization, CCC relies on volunteers for its operation. Volunteer opportunities for adults, students seeking community service hours, church and school groups, and families who want to serve together include sorting and organizing clothing donations as well as assisting clients on the days CCC is open.
Both clothing and monetary donations allow CCC to successfully serve the community. Clothing donations of clean and gently used, as well as new clothing, in all sizes can be made using the blue donation boxes located on the CCC campus.
CCC holds several fundraising events throughout the year, with Cinderella Night: A Magical Evening coming up on November 24th from 5:00-7:00 pm. This boutique shopping experience will include a silent auction, online Louis Vuitton purse raffle, and the Glass Slipper Challenge, which promises an enchanted gift to the person who fits the glass slipper… creating a perfect opportunity to shop for a cause.
For more information on the upcoming Cinderella Night, ways to volunteer, and opportunities to donate, follow @justincommunityclothescloset on Facebook, email communityclothescloset31@gmail.com, or call 817-291-8872. Community Clothes Closet is located at 117 West 6th Street in Justin.
"...everyone deserves dignity, confidence, and warmth, no matter their circumstances.”