Kids Closet

Melanie is a Volunteer Inventory Manager at the Kids Closet. She works one day per week in the 6,000 square foot warehouse, maintaining inventory and preparing replenishment orders.

Today is the pre-opening Open House of the Kids Closet's new 12,000 square foot building which contains the Warehouse, a Store with 14 changing booths and Classrooms. The kids "shop" with a volunteer and are provided with two complete outfits per year, school supplies, hygiene items and a book of their own.

This operation provides school clothes and school supplies to needy children from Headstart thru 8th Grade. Kids are from 21 schools in three counties from 100 miles around. They are selected by the schools. Most children are from impoverished families and qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Last year 3049 wardrobes were distributed to 2037 kids.

This is the Flagship Project of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach and has been helping clothe children for 15 years. A major funding source of SBCO is the volunteer-operated Golden Goose Thrift shop. SBCO built both this building and a new Golden Goose building in the past two years because it was more economical to own than to rent.

Animal murals were painted on the walls by volunteers from the SB Artists Guild. Volunteers from Home Depot built and installed shelving. A local contractor provided trucks and labor for moving inventory from a previous location. Many, many hours were spent by the KC volunteers in setting up the Store.

The warehouse carries nearly 2000 SKU's (Stock Keeping Units). Inventory is maintained manually and reordered as needed. Neatly organized in tubs that are marked with the SKU, description and quantity. stock is moved in the tubs to the Store as needed. Empty tubs are returned to the warehouse and used to monitor usage for reordering One of the shoe fitters told me that they carry shoes to size 15 but that the largest size that he has fitted was a size 13.

Some of these kids have never shopped for themselves and one asked a volunteer, "You mean that I can take this home?"

More Kids Closet pictures are here.