Recent News & Stories of Hope

You may not realize the impact your contribution makes on the lives of our clothing bank families. We hope that Bernice’s story below gives you a glimpse of the relief and hope you offer people struggling in our community. Bernice’s brow was pinched with tension and...

As I walked through the Clothing Bank a few weeks ago, Rodrigo, a kind, middle-aged man warmly greeted me. He was smiling ear-to-ear; clearly very happy to be there. He tells me he normally doesn’t get to shop with his wife because he works full-time, but today he has...

Linda cheerfully shopped in our clothing bank this last week. She found wonderful clothes for work, toys and books for her son and a new dish set. We know this woman well. When she registered in January, there was much sadness in her eyes and heaviness upon her...

Bernice was exhausted when she arrived at St. Francis House.  A resident of an assisted-living facility, she had received a ride downtown earlier that day.  The facility’s driver had dropped her off at the doctor’s office and then said he would be back in a...

Monica’s eyes were dancing when she joined the dinner line at the Armory.  Her two small children wore huge smiles as they looked up at her.  “We are moving into our very own apartment tomorrow,” their mom announced. This was the end of a long journey for...

Lily’s red curls gleamed in the early January sunlight.  She was bursting with the delightful enthusiasm of the five-year-old that she was.   “Come see what I found,” she said as she tugged on the hand of a clothing bank volunteer. Lily had found a...

Jaime had been an English student at St. Francis House for two years. He learned quickly and, because of his new language skills, was promoted from dishwasher to waiter at the restaurant where he worked. This was good for him because the better pay and the tips helped...

Carolyn carefully laid out her paperwork as she began the process of renewing her clothing bank card for another year.  When the registration volunteer asked about her husband’s employment status, Carolyn’s eyes filled with tears. “The company he worked for went...

Allison wept quietly as she moved around the clothing bank. It had been three months since she had lost her housing and, thanks to a St. Francis House intervention, she had just moved into a small apartment. She had come to the clothing bank to replenish her...