I Like...Threads

About once every season, our church puts on an event called Threads. Essentially, it is a free clothing closet for families who need clothes for their children, but it's really so much more. All items are donated, but only high-quality, attractive, and lightly used (i.e. unstained) clothes are up for grabs. We set the space to look like a "store," a la Baby Gap or Gymboree. Cute Easter dresses are hung from the ceiling, shoes are arranged into adorable displays, bright swimsuits are arranged in the window, and upbeat music plays from the speakers. When people enter the store, they are greeted with refreshments and a card to fill out with their name, children's names, and sizes. They are then assigned a "co-shopper," who takes them around the store, helps them find sizes, makes the kids feel excited about their new clothes, and gets to know them on a different level. The idea is that families from the neighborhood, who probably think of clothes-shopping as stressful or as a reminder that they can't provide their kids with what so many other kids are obsessed with, can come shop for high-quality clothes in an environment where they are welcomed, paid attention to, and valued.

The faces of the kids who come to shop are priceless when they pick out their new polo shirt, bright pink tutu dress, or good-as-new Pumas. I think all the time how I put too much value on clothes and trying to look cute, but when these kids come in the store, it becomes the most important thing in the world to them, and I think that's okay. As they leave the store, smiling and proudly toting their crisp shopping bag full of basically brand new clothes, it's obvious that this is an experience they won't forget. The Threads concept is so simple, but revolutionary at the same time, and it has been amazing to watch how it has grown from serving 40 families to over 100, and how it went from Rachelle's idea to a full-service, community-focused organization that garners support from businesses and newspapers. Threads is inspiring, and so is the little boy who left yesterday jumping up and down, holding up his new shirt for all to see. "Mom, this is the best Spiderman shirt in my whole life!" Yay Spiderman.