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With inflation on the rise, money has become tight, especially for families with children in school. Chrissy’s Closet, named after longtime College Station ISD employee Chrissy Hester, is a local nonprofit organization that works to provide College Station ISD students, families and staff with clothing and personal hygiene products. Director of Student Services, Chrissy Hester, says at Chrissy’s Closet, they strive to make families feel like they are shopping at a store without the expensive price tag.
“Chrissy’s Closet started because Shannon Long, Kelly Kovacs and I saw the need,” Chrissy says. “I was always gathering things, whether there was a fire or somebody was homeless or whatever happened that I saw a need. During the 2021- 2022 school year we had 3,939 people visit the closet, and that number continues to grow. There are a lot of students and families that need assistance here.”
Those who visit the closet are given a checklist that tells them the specific number of items they can get per visit. During each visit, closet visitors can get a pair of underwear and a pair of socks. Each month, guests are allowed to take home four clothing items and two toiletries, while things like a jacket or a pair of shoes are limited to one per semester.
"When they check out, the items they choose get marked off the list, and then they are able to come back the next month,” Chrissy says. “People might come more than once a month because it's like any store. Some days we have more than others. It depends on who has given us what.”
Chrissy’s Closet runs solely on donations, so sometimes, they have more of a selection for a certain size or gender. Chrissy says they are always in need of toiletry items such as shampoo, tampons, deodorant as well as kid's clothes, as they tend to fly off the racks.
“What we have trouble with is kids' clothes, particularly boys because they grow so fast,” Chrissy says. “I am a boy mom, so I know they grow so fast and they grow out of things. We run out of little girl clothes too, but not like little boy clothes.”
Chrissy’s Closet used to be limited to just two classrooms, which Chrissy says made operating the closet very hectic. Recently, Chrissy’s Closet has relocated to a larger location within the Barbara Bush Parent Center.
“We are very excited about the new and improved location,” Chrissy says. “It gives us the space we need because we originally had two classrooms: one was our closet where we had racks and the other was our workroom. Every time we opened, we would have racks that had to be brought out and things that needed to be moved — it was a whole process.”
Even though Chrissy was not the one who came up with the idea of Chrissy’s Closet, she says she is proud that it is named after her.
“Seeing the kids excited about clothes makes me happy,” Chrissy says. “They just dance around and are so excited. Then meeting the families out and about – just random little kids that I have no idea who they are, but they know who I am, and they come running up and they say, ‘I got this from Chrissy’s Closet.’ It's fun. The families are awesome.”
Chrissy’s Closet holds three clothing drives throughout the year; during the spring, summer and fall, according to their website. They also hold seasonal drives for items such as backpacks, coats, Halloween costumes and prom dresses. The closet has one full-time volunteer, Grace Walker, who helps to keep everything organized, but they are always in need of community members to volunteer.
“We have a website where people can sign up to volunteer,” Chrissy says. “We often send out an Amazon wishlist. They can keep an eye on that. We are truly grateful to the community members that support us. This community is just so giving, and that's the best part.”
Chrissy’s Closet is now located inside the Barbara Bush Parent Center at 1200 George Bush Drive in College Station. During the school year, the closet is open every Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. Chrissy’s Closet is not open during the summer or on holidays. For more information on how to help, check out their Facebook page or visit givetokids.csisd.org or csisdclothingcloset.weebly.com.
