A grassroots women’s charity in Inwood is looking for a temporary climate-controlled space after receiving a major donation of feminine hygiene products and new clothing.
Madeline’s Closet, which provides free clothing and household items to women and children, is seeking a space roughly 100 by 50 feet in size for one to two months. The organization says it needs the space to store 300 cases of feminine hygiene products and a large shipment of new clothing from Ricki’s and Cleo.
According to Shannon Dupont of Madeline’s Closet there is lots of new clothing coming, from the announcement that Cleo and Ricki’s won’t be keeping their doors open much longer.
The space that is required can be anything from a heated shop to a spare room or basement, as long as it’s located within the local area and offers consistent climate control to preserve the donated items.
“More than 95 per cent of what we offer is new,” said Dupont. “This donation of clothing and hygiene is a blessing — now we just need help finding space to store it.”
Madeline’s Closet has been operating out of four rooms on Main Street in Inwood for 16 years. It currently serves approximately 1,500 people monthly at its Inwood location and another 500 through its Winnipeg partner. The Inwood location has been open for four years, while the charity has been operation for 16 years.
The charity, which is mostly volunteer-run, networks with more than 20 stores for donations, though that number will drop to 12 with the closure of Ricki’s and Cleo. Items are sorted, repaired if needed, and made available to clients at no cost — with no judgment or financial background checks.
In addition to clothing and household supplies, Madeline’s Closet runs a “Presents for Parents” holiday program that lets local children choose and wrap gifts for their caregivers, free of charge.
To date, more than 600,000 people have used the service.
Donations are accepted by e-transfer at madelinesclosetinc@gmail.com, and the charity issues tax receipts.
More information is available at www.madelinescloset.ca.
