NewThreads of Hope Board Member
“I believe that the fulfillment of the mission for New Threads of Hope provides a large number of disadvantaged people with not only new clothing, but more importantly lets them know that people in our community do care about them and want to help them help themselves. ”
Les Weil, Community Volunteer
NewThreads of Hope Board Member
In November, 2009 a semi-truck from Lands’ End delivered 22 skids of winter clothes to the NewThreads of Hope warehouse for processing and distribution to the needy by NewThreads volunteers. Found among the hundreds of boxes of pants and tops, coats and jackets were 50 beautiful large Christmas stockings --the type that adorn many fireplace mantels in anticipation of St. Nick. Each of the stockings, however, was monogrammed with a recipient's name stitched onto the front—undoubtedly customer returns.
The creative and caring volunteers from Sherman Park Lutheran School knew that it wouldn’t matter to those who would receive them that the names on the stocking were not their own names. But it mattered to these volunteers! Over the next several months, friends of the school gently removed the stitched names from each stocking in preparation for their new recipients. Their task of love finally completed, school leaders enlisted the assistance of students to collect, fill and personally deliver the stockings with practical gifts that would be meaningful to shut-ins, just in time for Christmas, 2010.
A special gift from St. Nick’s helpers for 50 shut-ins-- the result of a generous corporation, creative leadership, and caring students and volunteers--all with hearts of compassion!
Janelle is a 40-year-old mother of two from Madison who has been struggling to get off of public assistance. Mary Ann from Janesville is a 25-year-old single mother of two children, ages five and one, who has been on AFD, Food Stamps, and medical assistance for the past five years. Howard lives in Appleton with his five children. The family is homeless and the mother is in a correctional halfway house for drug treatment. Janelle, Mary Ann, and Howard have each gone through job training and are eager to support their families and make a new life for themselves.
They know that first impressions count. And so does NewThreads of Hope. That is why the back-to-work clothing NewThreads receives from manufacturers and retailers is so valuable. It builds self-esteem and self-confidence, which translates into success. Janelle is now working as a health care assistant. Mary Ann was hired as a clerical records assistant, and Howard is confident that his latest interview will turn into a job offer. Their children are proud of them, and they feel good about themselves for the first time in a long time. New clothes for new opportunities!
Javier and his family moved to Milwaukee from Mexico during the summer to be close to relatives in Milwaukee. When the first snow of winter began to fall, Javier was so excited! His mom, however, was not so happy. When she brought Javier and his brother and sisters to Milwaukee, they came from a very different, very warm, climate. They had no winter clothing of any kind: no snow boots, no winter coats, no sweaters. So while Javier grew excited about playing in the snow, his mother grew anxious about how she would be able to keep the family protected against the vagaries of winter in the Midwest.
In fact, Javier’s story is not unique. NewThreads of Hope has worked with its distribution partners to make sure that Javier and his family and the families of immigrants from areas like Somalia in Africa and Burma in Southeast Asia have coats and sweaters, shoes and boots, hats and gloves. We have them covered this winter!
As Marguerite watched her 8-year-old son carry the neatly wrapped package upstairs to their apartment, tears filled her eyes. They had just moved out of a homeless shelter, so they had no bed and few other household items. Inside the package was a warm quilt that would insulate the boy from the cold floor he slept on at night. The warm gift came from NewThreads with a message of hope attached: someone cares about you.