The CARE Closet moves in to help NKY children in need |
A recipient of a donated bed helps move it into his room (provided) |
by Colin Moore
It’s only been four months since Fort Thomas resident Carol Weinel last spoke to Fort Thomas Matters, and yet in that time she has achieved more than most people could in years. She has brought the CARE Closet to Northern Kentucky, providing clothes and other items for homeless children who have nothing. She’s found premises, outgrown them and found more. She’s registered the Closet as a non-profit, so all donations are tax deductible, run a successful pre-prom pampering session for disadvantaged teens and helped over 100 children in Northern Kentucky!
Previously Carol had mainly volunteered with the Closet in
Oyler School in Lower Price Hill but seeing the donations build up and knowing
that there are needy children much closer to home, she decided to bring the
idea to Northern Kentucky. “We had so
much stuff and I thought, what can we do in our backyard?” A Fort Thomas
resident for almost 30 years, Carol knows only too well of the poverty that
lives far too close to our own doorsteps.
“This is happening in
our own backyard, 5 minutes from our homes. There is such a disparity in Campbell
County, from million dollar houses to over 500 people who are homeless. These are kids that our kids play sports with,
or play sports against and they have nothing.”
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Initially the CARE closet was based in Dayton, at the school
board building, but quickly as the bags began to pile up on Carol’s doorstep,
she realized they would need bigger premises. Carol and Linda Slone went to local businessman
David Hosea, who was happy to give them space in one of his buildings in
Newport. “He’s been so generous and has
even offered to paint our rooms for us.” At their previous premises, space
was at a premium, but now they have room to store items until they find the
person who needs it most. “Often when people
might decide they want to donate large items like beds, they want us to take
them out of their house immediately. Before this was a problem, unless we knew
someone needed it immediately. Now we can take the donation and store it until
we find someone who needs it.”
Linda Slone, David Hosea and Carol Weinel (provided) |
Another advantage of their new home, is that David Hosea
hopes to place other non-profits in the same building, along with ones who are
already there, such as Mentoring Plus, who also work with at risk
teens in Northern Kentucky. This lets all the non-profits work together and share best practise
in areas they have in common.
The Closet provides underprivileged school kids with clothes
and shoes but lets them shop for their own. Often when they’ve received clothes
in the past they may have been handed a bundle, without ever being asked if
they liked them or would want to wear them. Carol’s way allows many children to
pick their own outfits for the first time. The kids who they assist are
identified by the school district, who have resource directors and homeless coordinators to help
oversee support for these children. Karen Allen, a volunteer, and a member of
Fort Thomas School Board says “Schools
can only do so much. The Care Closet provides that additional assistance to
help a child in need at home.” Carol
says that when the kids first come in to the Closet:
“Their faces light
up. They might be told they can pick two tops, two pairs of pants and a pair of
shoes but instead of being handed them, they can pick them out for themselves.
These are kids who may never have shopped before, it gives them a real sense of
dignity.”
Their new space is allowing Carol to roll out a travelling Closet,
which will
visit 5 elementary schools in Campbell County. “We bring the clothes to the school, put
them on racks and the kids can pick as if they were in a normal shop.”
As well as providing clothes, since moving a few months ago
the Closet has provided 15 children who had been sleeping on the floor with
their own beds. This showed Karen Allen the true importance of the closet:
"I was hooked the
moment I saw an 8 year old boy climb into a bed that we provided. To see the
joy on his face as he curled up under the covers and laid his head on a pillow
was priceless. That look and the hug I received made me realize how important
the work of the closet is."
Carol is particularly proud that they collect and distribute
books to all of the children, who often struggle with literacy and may never
have owned a book before. They also collect and distribute personal hygiene
items such as toothpaste, deodorant and tampons and pads. School supplies are
also handed out to children who need them.
Their pre-prom pampering event in Dayton in May brought
together professional make up artists, hair stylists and nail technicians to
spoil 15 local girls before prom. They had lunch, a candy bar and picked out
jewellery to wear to prom and even provided dresses for some girls who didn’t
have their own.
Carol is constantly blown away by the generosity of our
community in supporting the Closet’s efforts. “It’s nothing for me to come home and see ten bags of clothes on my
doorstep and when I do it’s like Christmas for me because I know every one
represents a child who needs them.” She recognizes the support given by
local people:
“The community has
overwhelmed me with their generosity: the abundance of donations is incredible,
the generosity of the community is incredible. Some people buy new clothes for
their children each season which means some of the donations we hand out are
barely worn.”
The Closet is now
a fully fledged non-profit, which means they were able to take their first cash
donation recently, from the Moms’ Club
of Fort Thomas. Cash donations allow the Closet to buy items which they
need that can’t be second hand, such as a bra for a high school girl or some
personal hygiene items.
What makes Carol and the Closet so unique is that they have
no employees, so 100% of what they take is given out to the children. They also
re-purpose donations which are not suitable for them by handing it out to other
local charities. Men’s clothes are given to homeless veterans, baby clothes and
toys go to a local non-profit which works with teenage mothers, they even
managed to hand a batch of yoga pants and exercise clothes to Samantha
Reynolds, who runs a free dance class for underprivileged girls. While they
are stringent about the quality of clothes which end up in the Closet (Nothing
with holes or stains, Carol says “If I
wouldn’t put it on my kids, I wouldn’t expect them to wear it.”) those that
don’t meet the standard are given to Matthew 25:
Ministries, who ship them to children in Africa and other areas overseas.
They truly waste nothing that they are given.
Carol is quick to point out that this is not a one woman
show. Many other people volunteer, such as Linda Sloan and her husband Lonnie,
who among other things pick up large items in their truck, and Karen Allen.
They also have a junior board, consisting of one boy and one girl, who help by
promoting the CARE Closet in school and on social media. In fact when they
relocated, 4 members of the Highlands football team and some drama students
spent the day helping with the move. Linda says:
“When Carol called me
to ask if I would help her with the Care Closet, I knew this would be my new
mission in life. She had such a vision to help families in need. It
is so exciting to have so many people who are so willing to donate!! I
have always felt people want to help but just don't always know how. Our
community, friends and family have shown us a huge amount of support!”
Volunteer Lonnie Slone had a similar childhood to many of the children the Closet helps now. He often reflects on the child that he was back then: "Even though I know his story, it still makes me cry to know how he grew up. I am so proud of the man he has turned into today! It's sad to know that there are so many children who have to grow up this way still today."
Volunteer Lonnie Slone had a similar childhood to many of the children the Closet helps now. He often reflects on the child that he was back then: "Even though I know his story, it still makes me cry to know how he grew up. I am so proud of the man he has turned into today! It's sad to know that there are so many children who have to grow up this way still today."
HHS students Spencer Manyet, JT Merkle, Luke Mayer and Sam Sparks help Lonnie Slone with the move (provided) |
Despite the help Carol guesses she spend 10 hours a week
working on the closet on top of her day job as the Vision Screening Coordinator
for the Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute at Cincinnati Children’s. Carol’s
children have grown up and flown the nest, so she puts an awe-inspiring amount
of effort and spare time into the Closet, although she does manage to find time
for her 6 week old granddaughter, Lilly. Carol still feels she is lucky to be
able to help:
“I get more than I
give. Those bags on the porch represent a child who doesn’t have anything. I
want them to have everything my own kids had. The poverty that they are living
in is not acceptable at all.”
Donated mattresses awaiting distribution to those in need (provided) |
Carol isn’t sure what the future holds for the Closet other
than keeping doing what they’re great at: helping local kids who really need it.
“I initially thought the closet was a
little side thing, the rate it’s growing that is incredible. It’s so addictive.
If you had told me that on a matter of months we would have non-profit status,
a tax I.D., a PO Box address, that we would have already outgrown one location
and moved to another I wouldn’t have believed it in my wildest dreams. It’s
been crazy.”
Despite its overwhelming success the closet still needs more
help from the local community to keep supporting local children. Donations of
personal hygiene items, children’s books, school supplies, large items such as
beds and bedding and, of course, clothes in all sizes are gratefully accepted.
They still need volunteers to help sort the overwhelming number of donations
that they have already received into sex, size, season etc. Now that they have
their own premises with their own keys they are excited to be able to accommodate
volunteers during evenings and at the weekends which wasn’t possible before. Cash
donations are also welcome and are 100% tax deductible due to the Closet’s
non-profit status.
For more information on how to donate or volunteer please
contact Carol at careclosetnky@gmail.com
or on Facebook at The
CARE Closet
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