The Care Closet
What do you do with the children’s clothes you no longer need? If you are the Assistance League® Ventura County, you start a much-needed new program called The Care Closet. In 2021, our Bargain Box Thrift Store decided not to carry children’s clothes. The floor space that was being used for these items brought in very little sales dollars. Kay Rich, Bargain Box Chairman at the time, set out to find a good use for these clothes, which continued to be donated. She called Ventura County Children and Family Services and found that they had a great need for the children’s clothing. A partnership was formed and has since grown into a very successful program that is helping to fulfill our mission, “Transforming Lives – Strengthening Community.”
The Care Closet Committee takes the donated clothing, from infants to teens, and sorts the items by size and gender. The County then picks up these donations and brings them to the Care Closet Room at their offices. Social workers are then able to gather these necessities for children who have been brought in from unsafe conditions and arrive with nothing. The staff is also able to go directly to the Care Closet and get clothing and other items to help fill their needs.
The County also receives many emergency requests for these children and fragile families. We realized that we could help fulfill these basic needs too. Last year, Assistance League® Ventura County was able to provide over $72,000 in clothing, diapers, cribs, car seats, blankets, towels and much more, including gift cards for Walmart and Target. The dedicated staff at Ventura County Children and Family Services is so very grateful for this program. We are grateful to them for the hard work they do every day. We find it rewarding to partner with them to help the children and families in our community.
