Cody’s Closet provides clothes for locals in need
EL CENTRO — Since its inception in the summer of 2016, the locally based charity Cody’s Closet has held more than 50 clothing drives throughout the county for local residents in need of a little extra help.
On Wednesday afternoon, the charity once again held a drive at Grace Lutheran Church. For just a $2 donation at the door, guests were able to fill up and take home as many plastic bags as they wished filled with clothing and household items provided by the charity.
“Today, we have pretty much anything you’ll find in a house: shoes, clothes, books and toys,” Heather White, founder of Cody’s Closet, said.
White estimated the event provided enough items to fill about 100 plastic bags.
About 70 people were expected to make their way to Grace Lutheran.
All items that were made available for taking were part of the charity’s yearround collection stash. The $2 donations were used to purchase items that need to be new, such as toothpaste, underwear and socks.
“We just haven’t had one in El Centro in a while,” White said of Wednesday’s drive. “Anything anybody donates to us, we pass on.”
She explained the drive wasn’t aimed toward an exact demographic, but rather it is open to anyone in the general public who might be in need of extra items.
“You just have no idea,” the founder said. “There’s a lot of them who are escaping from domestic violence that have nothing, so this is a good way for them to start building up their wardrobe again.”
Seeing the direct impact her charity, which received its 501(c)(3) status last summer, has had within the community has inspired White to continue to host drives for the past four years.
“We’ve had little boys show up without shoes, and we’ve asked them, ‘Where’s your shoes?’ and they say they only wear them to school because they don’t fit,” White said. “We’ve had little boys show up in ballet shoes because they don’t have any other shoes. It’s just, so many of us have so much that, if we can just put on an event like this so they can get what they need, then I’m willing to keep doing it.”
Among the volunteers helping to organize and lay out clothes during Wednesday’s drive was El Centro resident Melissa Granillo.
When Granillo had her baby two years ago, she took advantage of the charity’s clothing drive. Since then, Granillo has paid it forward by volunteering and donating to some of the charity’s drives.
“I help her (White) out by going through my house and whatever my kids don’t fit in, whatever I don’t fit in, or my family doesn’t fit in, we give it back,” Granillo said.
Granillo’s mother, meanwhile, served as security of sorts, making everyone was taking only what they needed.
“That’s one of the hardest things we have right now,” Granillo said. “A lot of people don’t just take for themselves, they take to sell and make profit out of this. In a way, we get mad because all of this is just to help you. Take as much as you need, but leave some for everybody else.”
Otherwise, Granillo enjoyed seeing the drive helping people who were actually in need of items.
“It makes me happy” Granillo said. “And if you hear them, you’ll know how much they really appreciate her (White) doing this. Because if she didn’t do this, clothes are not cheap. Shoes are not cheap. That’s why we tell people please donate to us.”