There’s a new space at Agape House that’s already making a big difference.
The local shelter has officially opened its Community Closet, which is an area where clients can comfortably pick out clothes and other essentials in a store-like setting.
“Last year, when we purchased the home in our new location, our satellite office, we had the idea of transforming the basement into a community closet so that we actually had an allocated space for all the donations we receive from the community,” says Outreach and Housing Counsellor Lisa Fast.
The idea has been in development for some time, with financial support provided through a grant from the Chrysalis Fund.
“It's taken a lot of our manpower to get it done. But it's finally complete now and clients are able to comfortably and safely also browse some clothing in a more welcoming environment.”
Fast says the goal was to create a boutique-like atmosphere, which is an upgrade from their previous setup.
“We just had a little room in the shelter with bins of clothing for clients to go through and when we'd have someone who needed some clothing, we'd pull out all the bins and that's how they would find some clothing, that way. And now they're able to come on down and we have now a dedicated donation coordinator, we have a new volunteer starting who will kind of be taking on the Community Closet as a project.”
The new space is designed to help clients feel more at ease during what can be a difficult time.
“Clients are going to be able to just come and just browse through some clothing in a more comfortable environment. There's a little children play area, so that if moms have kids, they can have the kiddos kind of play around down there while they're browsing through clothing so that it doesn't feel as rushed or stressful. And there's also a little seating area there as well, so that it's just more of a welcoming and hangout space now.”
Fast says this change is a small but meaningful way to restore a sense of dignity.
“We see a lot of times that people that come in they're their self-esteem and their dignity has been taken away from them. And by giving them this kind of environment, we can help them rebuild that confidence and that autonomy that they have lost well.”
Clients are already using the Community Closet and offering positive feedback.
“I think the clients really like that they're able to browse through the different clothing racks. And we're able to have everything more organized. There's now jewelry and shoes and different donations that we've received from the community that we're able to put out for our clients. It's really amazing.”
For now, the team is focused on organizing the space and creating a more efficient system, so they’re not accepting new donations just yet.
“But we will be putting out like more specifically what size clothing we need, because we'll be keeping track of kind of like having a little bit of everything in case someone comes in,” says Fast.
Fast explains that seeing the project come to life has been a highlight.
“The staff were the ones that like built the space, we didn't hire anyone to come in and do that work. So we took that on and I think that actually just made it so much better because you can see the staff who put their own touch into the space and into the detail. You can see our touch to it, which is what I've been really excited about.”
For updates and future donation needs, Fast encourages the community to follow Agape House on Facebook and Instagram.
With files from Carly Koop