Our History

The CARE Closet began in 2016 with a simple commitment to local action. Our founder, Carol Weinel, noticed that many children in our community didn’t have access to basic, reliable clothing. She set out to host a targeted community clothing drive. Her original goal was straightforward: collect clean, reliable, gently used items to support a single local elementary school.

The response from our community was incredible. As donations poured in, it quickly became clear that families all over our area were quietly facing the same challenges. What started as a small, neighborhood clothing drive quickly grew into a full-fledged nonprofit organization.

Today, thanks to the amazing generosity of our donors and volunteers, The CARE Closet runs a wide network of boutique-style clothing spaces. We proudly work hand-in-hand with public schools, college career centers, and local foster care networks to provide resources to children in low-income homes, foster care placements, and kinship care.

While our operations have expanded, our mission has never changed: by placing beautiful, welcoming clothing closets directly inside schools and care systems, we give students the chance to “shop” and choose the clothes, shoes, coats, and personal care items they need, completely free of charge, and always wrapped in dignity.

Meet Our Founder: Carol Weinel

While volunteering with local youth outreach programs in 2016, healthcare professional Carol Weinel met an eight-year-old student whose family was struggling so intensely that the child owned only two pairs of underwear.

This profound encounter highlighted a quiet reality in our community: clothing insecurity directly hurts a child’s self esteem and makes them want to skip school. Carol knew she had to build a solution that treeated these children with the true respect and care they deserved.

The Vision Believing that receiving support should feel like an exciting shopping trip rather than a handout, Carol designed The CARE Closet around a unique “boutique shopping” framework. This gives at-risk youth the independence to select their own items and styles.

The Growth What started as a local, garage-based clothing drive has grown under Carol’s guidance into a vital community resource. Today, the organization operates a widespread network of closets serving thousands of children and transitioning yound aldults every year.

our team

We are a passionate team brought together by a shared belief that every child deserves to feel cared for. The CARE Closet is powered by a dedicated network of local volunteers, who handle everything from sorting donations to stocking school closets. Together with our community partners, we work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure clothing and personal care resources are always ready for the youth who need them most.