Working at a school can bring about a whole new perspective on the way different people live their everyday lives. When I had first heard about a student who had been bragging about going to McDonald’s three nights in a row until dark, and not just to indulge in a Happy Meal, but to keep warm and not rely on the glow from candles to get around their house because the family’s electric had been turned off. I became overwhelmed with sorrow and thought to myself, we are not living in the inner city stuff like this should not happen in Antioch.

I wanted to do something to help this student and her family. I had started by collecting clothing items, toiletries and nonperishable items to give to this student for the holidays, to make hard times a little bit easier. Eventually, I wanted to do more for them. Delivering items once every couple of months had turned into once every month for about two years. Unfortunately, this family moved out of the district, and because I never met the student, or the family, I could no longer provide them with my assistance. I was heartbroken, who was I going to help now?

I began asking my friends around town how we could begin to help less fortunate students around Antioch. In the summer of 2014, I began collecting clothing items for students size 6-20. I know that there are metal bins all around town to donate clothing to, but I felt uneasy donating to them because I never knew if people in need were really benefitting, or if companies were just making money off of the clothes donated. It started off rather small. My coworkers would contact me with size information and I would bring in bags of clothes for students to choose from. I’ll go through each clothing item donated one by one to make sure that they do not have any funky stains or smells.

Although I had never met the students, I knew that they enjoyed the fact that they could pick through what they wanted, and not just take what was handed to them. This went on for about a year, but when I was hired as a paraprofessional at W.C. Petty was when I decided I still wanted to do more, and create something bigger.

I decided that a clothing drive would be the best alternative to help even more families in need. It was named the Antioch Traveling Closet. I created a Facebook page and had emailed some student’s families in order to get the word out; I wanted to help as many people as I could.

At the first event about 40 families showed up. There were clothing, winter gear, shoes, school supplies, very limited toiletries and the families could even get complimentary haircuts. The gym was full with tears of joy from the parents of the children who were able to wear new and slightly used clothes at the beginning of a new school year.

Since the first Traveling Closet had made such an impact, I decided to hold the event three times a year, each one bigger than the last, with more and more items donated and picked out by the families each time. I attribute the Closet’s success to neighbors helping neighbors. It would not be what it is today without the people with such generous hearts so willing to donate. It takes about seven hours to prepare the day before each event, but it’s easier with the help from local businesses and the gracious volunteers.

The same thoughts rush through my mind the night before each event. Will people show up, will there be enough stuff for everyone, just the usual jitters. The nerves set in even more when families begin lining up outside of the doors two hours before we open. However, my nerves start to subside when the ear to ear smiles begin to surface, and the tears of joy start streaming down. I have formed some relationships with the children; sometimes when they see me in the halls they will run up to me and say, “look Mrs. Fisher, isn’t this pretty; I got it from you; I love it.” It’s one of the most rewarding feelings, and makes the whole process all worthwhile.

I am just so blown away by the amazing generosity from the people of our community. I am completely overjoyed by how well this small community can come together to form something so impactful to help their neighbors in need. The Antioch Traveling Closet has taken a life of its own, and has become something I had never thought possible.