A week-long “Open Closet” for clients in our Children and Families programs took place March 10-14 in a large room at their offices on Park Street in West Springfield. The items were donated through a clothing drive organized by Agawam High School senior Antonio Castro.

Clients in such programs as Rapid Rehousing, Maternity Group Home, Foster Care, and Basic Center (emergency youth shelter) went “shopping” for free clothes in a volunteer initiative that began five years ago with a modest collection that has since mushroomed to 300 pounds of clothing donations.

“It feels good knowing that they will have clothes on their back,” said Antonio. “I’m so happy I was able to make a difference. I can’t believe how much this drive has grown in the past few years and how people are always willing to help.”

The effort is actually a family affair: Antonio’s mother, Tina, is a nurse who has clinical students who work with CHD foster parents. “Every once in a while I would remind my kids how fortunate they are, so my daughter started a clothing drive for Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen five years ago, and the following year she started a drive for CHD,” she said.

That daughter, Isabella, is now away at college, and Antonio took the reins for the CHD Open Closet. This year, he was aided by his 15-year-old sister Julianna, who is likely to take over the endeavor when Antonio goes to college. With another sister, Arianna, eager to assist, it looks like the drive will have a strong future.

Dan, a graduate of CHD’s Transition to Independent Living Program (TILP), said at the Open Closet that the effort “is a really good idea—a lot of these people don’t have much money, and everything is so expensive in stores.” Absalon, a fellow TILP client, agreed. “This jacket is worth probably 60 or 70 bucks,” he said.” “Many people in these programs don’t have a lot of clothes, so this is definitely helpful.”

Indeed, CHD Family Caseworker Fran Cameron pointed out that the previous day, one of the youths came in with a specific article of clothing in mind. “She just got a job where she has to wear a black button-down shirt, and we had two of them here,” she said. “She was so happy!”