Mema's Closet was inspired by my grandmother, Faye Leggett, also known as Mema. She was on a quest to collect winter coats for families and children in need around the community in early 2005. She was encouraged and inspired after reading an article about USA WEEKEND's annual event, Make a Difference Day. (Make a Difference Day is a day recognized nationally to help others - "a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors." And takes place every 4th Saturday in October.)
In late 2005, she passed away suddenly, leaving behind a legacy. In a closet at her home, we found over 150 coats which she had intentions of distributing around the community to those in need. With this image, I envisioned a larger picture of how I could make a difference through her inspiration. This in turn motivated Mema's Closet.
Annually, we organize, promote, and collect winter coats for Mema's Closet, typically between September and October. Because Make a Difference Day was the origin of the idea, this day has been chosen as a time to count and organize the coats collected. The first Saturday in November has been adopted by Mema's Closet as the day of distribution.
Since the development of Mema's Closet in 2005, the program has collected and distributed over 1,000 coats. We have witnessed in the past our efforts blessing members of our community, but in the future we hope to reach our helping hands out to other communities as well.
With this knowledge, get ready to help us collect winter items in 2010! You can help by donating old, winter coats (in good condition) to Mema's Closet. Drop-off locations will be determined at a later date. For now, if you have winter items that you would like to donate, please contact me at BrianneJoy@gmail.com or leave a comment.
