BOISE, Idaho — “We feel that what we do here is so much more than clothing,” said The Closet founder Kelly McMurry.
The Closet’s mission is to empower teens by not just dressing them in any clothes, but clothes that they would actually feel good in, because when you look your best, you feel your best.
“We’re just loving on our community, loving on some teens. We really are the ones, when they walk out of the dressing room to show us what they’ve tried on, we're the ones that really say, “Look at you in that! You look amazing!’,” said McMurry.
Appointments at The Closet are available to Ada County teenagers going through financial hardships. Usually, the teens are referred to the non-profit through school counselors, homeless shelters, the foster care system, or mental health agencies.
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“We have seen an increase in the homeless and families, and recently had a family where mom had three teens shopping. And to able to help the kids but also help that mom was just so incredible,” said Closet volunteer Kelly.
The Closet also gets to positively impact teens in juvenile correctional facilities that are days away from their release.
“They come here, still incarcerated, and they don’t get to wear their clothes home. They’re gonna come in their incarceration clothes and go back to the facility in the same thing. But what they do get is a big bag of clothes that they can wear when they leave. And they’re sneaking up on their release, so it’s really a privilege to see those kids. They get really super excited about just trying on normal clothes again, rather than just the stuff they’re given at the facility. So it’s very rewarding for all of us here just kind of seeing that transformation and that excitement they come through,” said McMurry.
The Closet is teaming up with Columbia Sportswear in The Village of Meridian to gather some much-needed winter coats. The coat drive will take place from December 1-17.
"Going into this next season, being winter, it gets cold here. We do have a beautiful partnership this year with Columbia Sportswear where if you bring in a coat, a gently used coat, drop it off there, they're gonna donate that to The Closet. They're also gonna give you a voucher for a portion, a discount on your purchase that day. Then your purchase that [same] day, part of the proceeds are gonna come back to The Closet in cash."
If you're looking to donate your gently used, teen-friendly clothes or shoes on another date, The Closet recommends you drop off donations on Wednesdays from 9:30am to 12:30pm at their store.
Details on The Closet’s contact information can be found on their website.
