Catie's Closet

Catie's Closet is an in-school resource for clothing and toiletries accessible to students experiencing homelessness and poverty. Our mission is to reduce chronic absenteeism among children from low-income families by increasing access to one of our most basic needs - clothing and toiletries. Not only are we improving attendance, but we are also increase self-esteem and confidence of students who may be isolated or bullied by their peers for their appearance. Catie's Closet strives to support students throughout their educational life, so that they can focus on their work in the classroom, rather than their basic needs being unmet. Catie’s Closet has evolved from a family-sponsored project in 2010 into a now social enterprise. The project began as a tribute to Catie Bisson, a graduate of Lowell High School who was passionate about the power of education. Catie was a sophomore at Bridgewater State College when she passed away at the age of 20 due to a connective tissue disorder. Catie felt strongly that education should not be a privilege and so her family sought to honor her memory by helping kids succeed in school.

Catie's Closet provides clothing and toiletries to students in need through 'stores' transformed from unused space within schools. We fill them with new and gently used clothing and full-sized toiletries, donated by local communities. Students in need, identified by trusted and compassionate staff members, can access the closet throughout the school day in a discrete manner and take as many items as they need - no paperwork required and free of charge. Our communities can get invovled by donating their new or gently used clothing, hosting drives, or volunteering at our Distribution Center.