Brightside: Della’s Closet
DELAWARE – In times of need, people want to feel respected, even if they are embarrassed. One local organization is aimed at making individuals feel secure during their struggles, on this week’s edition of the Brightside brought to you in part by Choptank Electric.
Closet of Clothes
“There’s people that have office space that do counseling and drug and alcohol referrals and things of that nature, but they don’t have room to have you know a closet full of clothes.” CEO Joshua Nordstrom says, that’s where Della’s Closet comes in.
The name comes from his grandmother, and they give that same wholesome love to the people they serve in all 4 counties. A nice suit may be thing someone needs to help get them back on their feet.
“Our mission is to help people get from point A to point B a lot of times. You’re never going to be able to feed everybody all the time, you’re never going to be able to clothe everyone, you know, all of the time but if we can give people the opportunity to get a little bit ahead or to catch up.”
Helping the Helpless
Whether recovering, transitioning, or suffering, they’ve seen it all try to help everyone. “People from all different walks of life who just have that need. Whether it be to help out their kids for school clothes, or to put some food on the table, or some toys and games for birthdays or Christmas, we serve a wide variety of folks in a lot of different ways.”
Joshua shows us a baby room with various strollers and plays pens, plenty of toys, and he says they make sure the shirts, come with a snack.
“A lot of times when people come in for clothes, they need food too, so, we help them, and then of course we do our monthly distribution event, where we serve between 100-120 families right here in town.”
Helping the Hungry
He says a hungry student can’t focus, and this monthly meal means the world to many in this area. “There’s always going to be hunger, and I know that people are hungry in this town. They go hungry sometimes, sometimes kids go hungry- but when we give out that much food to that many families I can say- not today, no body’s going hungry in this town today.”
Kids love books and games, something Della’s Closet has plenty of, and Joshua says you’d be surprised at how much a backpack may mean to child. “For foster kids, they have to move a lot. And a lot of times they have to carry their things around in plastic garbage bags and we want to give them some sort of dignity.”
Volunteers equal a Village
There are hundreds of garments available to fit all ages, shapes, and sizes. Volunteers fold, organize, and label every single article. Clients are able to shop solo with as much time and privacy as possible.
Joshua says, it takes a village. “If you are someone who has the means and the opportunity, I encourage everyone no matter what your age is you to get involved somewhere. The need is everywhere.”
Della’s Closet says they’ll continue helping others look towards a brighter side. They only take referrals from non-profits and organizations, to ensure their resources are going to the right place. Click here for more information on the work, they do or to donate.
