NEISD Clothes Closet helps 3,500+ families in first 5 years
The North East ISD Council of PTAs opened its Clothes Closet in January 2017. In its first five years, more than 3,500 families from across the District have shopped for jackets, socks, blue jeans and more free of charge. While the building and the shopping process has had a few upgrades over the years, its mission remains the same.
“We started strong and we just keep getting stronger,” said Audra Frigon, NEISD Council of PTAs President. “Cathy Reed was actually the one who kicked it all off five years ago. It was her brainchild. We actually had heard about it in other districts so we went to them to get some advice and tips and tricks of the trade to find out what worked for them.”
Students from every elementary, middle and high school in the District can shop at the Clothes Closet. When one student is served, they take home five tops, five bottoms, five new socks and five new underwear (per semester), as well as three coats or jackets (per school year.)
A dedicated team of volunteers opens the Clothes Closet every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. It’s also open one Saturday a month. The facility is located next door to the NEISD Community Learning Center at 8758 Tesoro Drive.
“We’re always trying to take our little space and make it easy for our shoppers,” said Frigon. “We want them to be able to get in here quickly and find exactly what they’re looking for.”
The Clothes Closet runs off of donations and community, student and PTA volunteers. If you would like to give back, there’s a convenient drop-off bin at the front of the building. You can also donate socks, underwear, jeans, coats and more through the Amazon Wishlist here.
“Quality over quantity is really important to us. We want people to be able to find things that they are proud to take home and the kids are proud to take to school.”
Families interested in shopping at the Clothes Closet just need to reach out to their campus counselor or Family Specialist to secure a voucher. Click here to learn more about volunteering at the Clothes Closet.
