The news article of Oct. 15 regarding the Clothes Closet in Snohomish left my husband and I with a deep, hollow-pit feeling (“Clothes bank head quits in rift”). Am I reading this correctly? There are those who feel that only if you attend schools in the Snohomish School District, do you deserve the right to utilize the Clothes Closet?
Our initial reaction was: where do you want us to stand at 2 p.m. with our donations to cover those you turn away? According to the article by Leslie Moriarty, the local community has first choice for all items between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursdays (the day the Clothes Closet is open) and after 2 p.m. individuals from outside the area may shop. The hours are structured to give preference to local individuals already.
Gary Maxfield states he’s receiving complaints that “local people are concerned because their donations aren’t staying local.” Good grief, are people looking around to see if their donations are being worn by people they see and/or know? Are these “concerned locals” willing to volunteer their time to sort clothes as other “outside of the area” volunteers are? Instead of concern that 40 percent of goods go to people outside of their area, why isn’t the Clothes Closet board realizing how needed their services are and concentrating on the fact that there are so many in need? What difference does it make if people come from outside or inside?
Surely as a country unites in the face of recent events, the Clothes Closet and their board can unite and continue to serve the needy who show up at their doors – “local” or not.
Mill Creek
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