Author: Amy Patten, Intern at Journey’s End Refugee Services
From the wall of snow that made national news, to Buffalo’s coldest month on record, this winter had even the most die-hard Buffalonians yearning for the spring. Now that spring has finally arrived, so has spring cleaning.
Cleaning up the remnants of winter, both indoors and outdoors, is a common practice in Western New York, and it brings up the question of what to do with items that you no longer need. Many Western New Yorkers choose to donate these items to newly resettled refugees through Journey’s End Refugee Services’ project Clara’s Closet.
Clara’s Closet is a volunteer-run donation center that works to provide refugees with clothing, toiletries, and basic household items at no cost to them. It is located in the basement of the Central Park United Methodist Church, and accepts donations Mondays through Fridays from 9AM to 1PM throughout the year. While the clientele are mostly newly arrived refugee families, the center is open to anyone with income eligibility.
Currently, Clara’s Closet is accepting donations of newborn and toddler items, gently used clothing, gently used shoes, and small household items. All donations are greatly appreciated, and tax receipts are available for all donations. Clara’s Closet is also in need of volunteers who are willing to spend a few hours once a week helping sort through donations and assisting clients with their selections.
Clara’s Closet will soon be celebrating the one-year anniversary since its Grand Opening in 2014. The accompanying infographic shows the enormous impact this one location has had on low-income refugee families over the past year. If you’d like to be a part of the good things happening there, contact the Manager of Volunteers at Journey’s End Refugee Services: volunteer@jersbuffalo.org.