Teen Parenting Group Visits the Wish Closet Once Again

This was another busy night at the Wish Closet with 38 visitors, including 10 teen parents. The teens are part of the Teen Parenting program that comes twice a year to the Wish Closet to shop for their children. We time these visit to coincide with the very large, very generous, always welcome donation from the Multiples N More group following their semi annual garage sales. This is a wonderful partnership between the two groups. This time, Paula from Multiples N More came to the Wish Closet to assist and to see first hand how appreciative the young parents are. She said she was most surprised by how discerning the parents were in choosing for their children.

Paula (right) from the Multiples N More group came to assist our volunteers ) sort items for the teen parents. She is seen here with Audra who is organizing the "big ticket items" like toys, car seats, strollers and exersaucers for the teen parents.

Kaitlyn is busy sorting clothing items

Natalie works to sort the boys clothing (some proud papa is sure to take that TML shirt for his little fan!) 

We were also greatly blessed by a special donation of hand crocheted baby blankets courtesy of the Calbeck Crafters for this special visit to the Wish Closet.   

The Good Food Box were kind enough to once again donate a Good Food Box which was given as a draw prize to the teen parents. This is another gift that is gratefully received and the recipients are always delighted that they are able to save on purchasing the Good Food Box which then frees up their limited resources to allow for other necessities to be purchased. 

And to let our young moms know how much we appreciate them and to let them know how special they are, our amazing volunteers work hard to put together gift bags for all of the young moms who come to shop on Teen Parent Night. These gift bags are always well received and the moms leave feeling like it is Mother's Day all over again.

Thank you to the amazing volunteers at the Wish Closet for making this night so special. Thank you to the Multiples n More Group for your generosity in assisting these young parents with your generous donations. Thank you to the Calbeck Crafters for your gifts of love wrapped into handmade blankets. Thank you to the Teen Parenting Group for allowing us to host you and to be able to provide this special night for you. 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.  ~Margaret Meade

October is the Month for Harvest and for Thanksgiving

The Wish Closet has been the lucky recipient of two wonderful harvests this month, and we are truly thankful. The first event that we received a donation from was the Shop Til You Drop event at the Polish Hall on October 13. This is the second annual Shop Til You Drop and the organizers use this opportunity to fundraise for the Food Bank. Betty Finley was fortunate enough to get a call to see if the Wish Closet would like to be given the clothing items that didn’t sell. What a wonderful gift for the customers at the Wish Closet. Armed with garbage bags, 3 Wish Closet Volunteers set to work to gather a variety of items like belts, shoes, purses, sweaters, prom/graduation dresses, plus size clothing and work wear for woman returning to the work force.

Nine garbage bags filled with wonderful items were returned to the storage area of the Wish Closet that night. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Cathy Bohemier for offering these items to the Wish Closet so that others in the community can benefit.

Then, following the Multiples N More garage sale at the Civic Centre on October 22, the Wish Closet was able to once again receive donations of much needed baby items. This is  a very special partnership for the Wish Closet. All of these items are saved for a very special night when a teen parenting group comes to shop for their babes. This opportunity allows them to get clothing, toys, bedding, furniture and many other things that these parents struggle to provide. Freeing up the money for these items allows the teens to make other important purchases like laundry soap, cleaning supplies and other expensive items that often get left because there is only so much money to go around.

Look for the blog post after November 7^th when this very special group comes to the Wish Closet for their fall shopping.

Saturday’s donations included 10 bags of various clothing, shoes, boots, toys, books, a swing and bedding. It required 2 vehicles to haul away all of the wonderful donations for storage at the Wish Closet.

Thank You once again to the amazing moms of the Multiples N More group.

It's Cool to Be Kind - Meet the Wish Closet's Great Kid

When the nominations opened this year for the Expositor's Great Kids Contest, Wish Closet Creator Betty Finley knew just who to nominate.
Christopher began volunteering on Monday nights when the Wish Closet first opened in September 2007.

He would get picked up from school at 3pm to be "on deck" at the Wish Closet at 3:30. He would sign out at school and always gave his reason for leaving as "going to work" In the four plus years that Christopher volunteered, he carried donations in and out of the Wish Closet, assisted at pick ups from Winners and from the Multiples and More garage sales.

Christopher helped to sort, fill special requests, keep little visitors entertained, broke down boxes and made sure visitors signed in each week.

Christopher continues to keep the statistics of our monthly visitors. At the end of each shift, Christopher would sweep up and spray the room to keep it fresh for the next group of visitors.

When Christopher decided to retire from Monday nights and to continue to help out "behind the scenes", Betty wrote to the Toronto Rock, Christopher's favourite lacrosse team to ask for a special prize for him. He was thrilled to learn that he won 2 free tickets to any game he wants in the 2012 season.

But, Betty wasn't finished yet. She also nominated Christopher for the Great Kids contest through the Expositor. Christopher found out in early August that he had made it as a finalist. His category (Cool to be kind, ages 6 - 12) was the most popular category with the most number of kids being nominated. Making it as a finalist meant Christopher was in the top four. Quite an honour for any kid.

Our table with the Kid of Honour

A thank you and congratulations to all of the nominees from Phil McColeman

Christopher's story is shared with the audience

Our nominee listens to his story

The Wish Closet's Great Kid wins in his category of Cool To Be Kind and celebrates by sharing his spotlight with his nominator, Betty Finley.

Christopher's story will be featured in the Brantford Expositor on Thursday, October 20th along with the other nominees.

As a winner, Christopher received a $500 RESP from RBC, certificates of congratulations from both Phil McColeman and Dave Levac, a gift certificate for Chapters, Cineplex and Wendy's as well as a gift card from the Oh Canada, Eh dinner show in Niagara Falls (which just happens to be one of Christopher's favourite places!)

But best of all, he gets acknowledged for all of his dedication, his caring heart and his years of service to others. Thank you, Betty, for nominating  Christopher. Thank you to the judges for believing in him. And CONGRATULATIONS, Christopher. You ARE a GREAT Kid!

The Wish Closet Receives a Van Load of Donations from ENJO

ENJO Canada makes a difference, not just by removing harmful chemicals from our homes so our children are safe, but we love to give back to the community and pay-it-forward.  We wanted to make a difference in our community and have partnered with the Wish Closet located at Major Ballachey School in Brantford, Ontario.

Jennifer Dorsey pictured above (left) began the process and is seen here delivering all of the donations from ENJO Consultants all over southern Ontario, which included items such as coats, boots, clothing, towels, blankets, and diapers to Audra Henderson pictured above (right), Wish Closet Volunteer.  We need to think about how blessed we are and take some time to help others. We say at ENJO we can make a difference...let’s do it together.

Jennifer also owns and operates Beautius Spa (www.BeautiusSpa.com) in Burford, Ontario, which is now a designated drop off location for ongoing donations to help others who are facing adversity in their lives. If you are in or around the Burford area and would like to make a donation, please contact Jennifer at Beautius Spa 519.770.3579. 

We Are OPEN for Business

Now that school is back, the Wish Closet is OPEN for business. Admittedly, last week was a quiet week. People were still grappling with routines after a long, lazy summer. But last night, business was booming at the Wish Closet once again!
We have received a number of donations that Audra, our dynamo behind the scenes, has been busily sorting for our customers.

The Wish Closet hours remain the same as last year:

Monday 3:30 - 5:00
Wednesday 9:30 - 12:00 & 4:00 - 6:00
Thursday 9:30 - 12:00

We look forward to serving  YOU!

ps: For those interested in "Paying it Forward", donations can be dropped off to the school any school day between 9:30 & 2:30. If you have a large drop-off, please call ahead so Mrs Comeau can arrange to someone to help move the donations downstairs.

An Evening of Thanks and Celebration

Our annual end of year celebration for all of the volunteers was held on Monday, June 20th. While we were eating pizza, we were able to watch a slide show of the changes that have evolved in the Wish Closet in the four years that it has been open. It was also a bit of a history lesson for the newer volunteers who had no idea about our humble beginnings.

As she does every year, Betty presented the volunteers with gifts that reflects the uniqueness of each person on her team.

First and foremost was Mrs Murray our wonderful principal and one of the major supporters and advocates for the Wish Closet. Here is what Betty had to say about her piece of pottery:

As the Principal you run the “ship” so I give you a pottery “boat”. This boat has experience in the grooves, some deeper than others and multi-coloured. Not very smooth on the inside but still very functional and smooth on the outside. You have allowed us to share in your boat, you supported us when the water was literally in our boat and when there were bumps along the way. I hope this pottery piece will hold fabulous memories of your time here at Major B & all of the people that you helped by simply supporting our efforts in the Wish Closet.

One of the main players in the Wish Closet team is our wonderful, flexible, super organized secretary, Mrs Comeau. Mrs Comeau takes on so many little tasks that no one ever sees - phone calls from clients, donations, finding assistants to help unload donations, acting as a buffer when things don't go according to plan. And she manages all of these tasks in stride - competently and without complaint. Here were Betty's words to her:

Your pottery this year is the biggest piece of my collection because you have to hold so many different aspects of life in this school for staff, students, visitors to the Wish Closet and community members dropping off donations. Your bowl has some sharp edges on the top just like some of the people you encounter and at the bottom look at how close the glaze was to going “over the edge” also symbolic of what can happen in a day at Major B. I decorated your piece on the inside by rolling wallpaper into the clay and I chose this beautiful colour blue as it is a stable colour---just like you represent stability for the school, the Wish Closet and for me several days a week.

Our custodian, Mayor Dowden, is another major player on the Wish Closet team. He is always there to lend a hand, listen to concerns, offer suggestions. He is a wonderful support to all of the volunteers each and every shift. In Betty's words:

I give to you a very functional piece of pottery that you can use that looks a little “exotic” but represents you and all of your history at Major B. The Mayor needs to relax so your handle has ridges to make sure you don’t lose your grip, all the patches represent all of the events you have witnessed in your time here and it is a golden brown colour because you Dave Dowden are loyal like brown and golden to all of us here with your big heart. Thank you from all of us for all you do to help us make a difference.

Similarly, Cathy, our new custodian has taken on the challenge of the Wish Closet and has taken this role on without complaint and by offering support and assistance with a very cheerful demeanour. Cathy, welcome to Major B, welcome to the Wish Closet and thank you so much for your support. Here is what Betty had to say about Cathy's piece of pottery:

You are the proud new owner of a square bowl that is functional and unusual….just like your time since you joined Major B. Look at the inside of your bowl with the bumps inside at the bottom, you can feel them just like some of the people feel when they enter the Wish Closet hoping to find items that can remove the bumps and challenges that they may be facing in their lives. Thanks for your support this year Cathy.

Each and every volunteer on the Wish Closet team receive a unique gift reflective of their individuality and the gifts that they each bring to the team. Betty's words were generous and heartfelt. As always, it was a wonderful night of celebrating the success of the Wish Closet and everyone's contribution  to that success.

Good Food Box

The Wish Closet was the lucky recipient of a donation from our Local Food Bank who generously donated Good Food Boxes. These are food "boxes" that provide quality fresh fruit and vegetables. 

The fruits and vegetables vary according to each season.

We raffled off the Good Food Boxes at the Teen Parenting Night as well as part of our Father's Day draw. The teen parents that received their Good Food Box were thrilled and were able to put some of their grocery money to other things like diapers. The dad that won a Good Food Box was thrilled to get fresh strawberries - a luxury he can't normally afford.

Many thanks to Chris Quinlan for her generous donations to the Wish Closet.

The Wish Closet Runs on Volunteer Power

There are no paid staff at the Wish Closet. Every "helper" is a volunteer. And we all have our unique reasons for wanting to volunteer at the Wish Closet. But we all share a deep desire to nurture. We all want people to know they are cared about no matter what their life circumstances may be at that moment in time.

Since January 1, 2011, more than 650 volunteer hours have been clocked at the Wish Closet. And that doesn't count our Super Organizer's hours. Audra is a dynamo behind the scenes. She nestles away in the "dungeon" - the room where all of our donations are dropped off. She spends countless, tireless hours each and every week sorting through the donations and carefully making piles for each "shift" of volunteers to put on the racks and on the shelves. We would be in quite a pickle if it weren't for Audra' dedication.

I remember in the early days of the Wish Closet, we would open the smaller storage room and literally surf over bags of donations to try and find a specific request for a customer. When the storage of donations moved to the larger room, which we lovingly call "the dungeon", the piles just spread sideways and really were a fire and safety hazard. Not to be deterred, our Wish Closet Creator, Betty Finley, called Audra in to put her organizational skills into action. Now when we go to seek a specific item, we know exactly where to look and we can get there without endangering our limbs! A huge big thank you to you, Audra!

And speaking of a strong need to nurture...our Wednesday Morning volunteer, Bernadette learned about the Wish Closet through a group that she belongs to. Not long after that, she offered to volunteer and has been with the Wish Closet for about three years. One of Bernadette's behind the scenes contributions are the gifts that she puts together for special occasions. Every year as we approach Mother's Day, we have a raffle draw and Bernadette is the person who works away each week, gathering gift items, then making them up into gift baskets to be raffled off for our Moms. This year, Bernadette also made up gifts for our dads who come to the Wish Closet

Every year, twice a year, since our inception in 2007, we have hosted the Teen Parenting Program at the Wish Closet. These are always very special evenings for us. We have been the very fortunate recipients of donations from the Multiples N More group's garage sale. This allows the teen parents to get really good quality items that they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford for their babes. This is such an amazing partnership and we are so proud to be able to broker this connection.

Early on, we recognized that the moms were reluctant to "shop" for themselves. So much of their time, energy, money and resources go towards their babes. So, as a way to let the moms know how much they are appreciated, we started giving out gifts. We used to raffle them off. But this year, Bernadette, receiving fair warning that the moms were coming, made up gifts for each mom. The moms were THRILLED to be able to take a gift bag.  Thank You Bernadette!

While we try to put out items that are in good repair, clean, and untorn, we occassionaly get an item that needs a little bit of TLC. Such as a button. Another one of our Wish Closet volunteers is only too happy to take on the task of making sure clothing is in good shape and ready to go for our customers. Thank you Sharron!

It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. At the Wish Closet, it takes an army of angels to make our endeavour successful. THANK YOU to each and every volunteer. We can not do this without you.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.  ~Margaret Meade

We Are All Winners!

Since the Wish Closet opened 4 years ago in a converted classroom at Major Ballachey School, Winners has been donating clothing, houseware items, toys and books to help others in our community. We have been so fortunate to have the sponsorship and support of  Winners Brantford. Over the course of 4 years, Winners Brantford has generously donated hundreds of items of merchandise, right off their racks, for our customers at the Wish Closet.

Pictured on the right is Bev Leone, Manager of Winners Brantford donating another 80 items to Betty Finley, Creator of the Wish Closet. Thank you Winners for continuing to support this very worthwhile program. 

Teen Parenting Group Visits the Wish Closet

Another very successful night hosting the teen parenting group at the Wish Closet. 6 moms, 2 dads and a grandma were in to shop with that group and 16 members of the community were also in with their children tonight.

Thanks to Trish and Barb, the room looked amazing and the shelves were fully stocked. Thanks for organizing the tables in the hallway as well.

Lots of big ticket items went tonight including 2 high chairs, a stroller, bedding, boxes of diapers and some large toys. Bags and bags of clothes left the Wish Closet tonight, although if you were to peek in now, it doesn't look like much was taken. Everything from the tables that was not taken tonight was placed in the Wish Closet and is on the baby shelves. Although we had a large collection of boy clothes, there is hardly anything left.

The moms were THRILLED to be able to take a gift bag. Thanks, Bernadette for making  those up. The moms felt like it was Mother's Day all over again. We had 4 large prizes to give away as part of a raffle. The recipients were thrilled with these as well. It really was such a treat to see how excited the moms were and how "pampered" they felt tonight.

I know that these moms have access to other clothing in the community. However, the Wish Closet allows them to get items that are in great condition, big ticket items not available anywhere else for free, AND they get to feel spoiled. That really is such a great gift that we can impart.

I drove a stroller and high chair home for a young mom. (The van they come in is limited in space and really only has room for the moms and babes). We arrived at the home before the mom. Dad came over from the neighbours. I explained who we were and why we had come. This dad was incredibly grateful for the high chair. Incredibly grateful. He said that his plan was to go tomorrow with his pension cheque to buy a high chair for his babe. Now he could spend that money on something else for his kids. Christopher wheeled the stroller across the street to the house. The dad carried the high chair and Heather carried the box of diapers. The dad said to Christopher "what's your name young man?" Christopher responded and the dad said "Christopher thank you so much for helping me with the stroller."

A great life lesson for my kids was to see not only this dad's gratefulness, but that he wanted to (and did) repay me for my efforts. He gave us a tomato plant and some bell pepper plants. How is that for Paying it Forward??

During some idle time this evening, and after cleaning up everything that fell off the table after it collapsed under me, 

we tallied the number of visitors. There were 137 in the month of April. This month included a PA day AND Easter.

For the month of May, there have been 227 and that included the stat holiday last week! 464 in 60 days!! Well done everyone. These stats show that there really is a desparate need in this community - one that the Wish Closet fortunately fills.