LOVELAND, Ohio — A Loveland nonprofit that opened less than a year ago has already clothed nearly 300 children in its first six months, according to a nonprofit spotlight the city of Loveland posted to Facebook.
RePete’s Closet for Kids was created to address a need for children’s clothing among families facing financial hardship, the city said. The organization provides clothing, shoes and accessories at no cost to eligible families with children from birth through high school graduation across the greater Loveland area. In its first six months, it served about 150 families and nearly 300 children.
The nonprofit, whose motto is “We wrap kids in care — one outfit at a time,” offers what organizers describe as a boutique-style shopping experience. Families choose new or gently used clothing at no charge, and every item is inspected to make sure it has no stains, rips or excessive wear before it goes on the shelves. “We want kids to have choices and feel proud to wear items they personally picked,” the organization said in the post.
That philosophy played out for one family that came to RePete’s Closet after losing most of their belongings, including their children’s shoes, in a flood. The family left with shoes, pants, shirts, underwear and socks for all of their kids, and one young boy was so happy with his new clothes that he put them on before leaving the shop, according to the nonprofit.
RePete’s Closet is run entirely by volunteers and depends on community donations to stay open, the organization said. It is currently collecting new socks of all sizes for a “Sock-tober” drive and said it always needs new underwear, boys’ clothing, baby boy clothing and teen clothing in larger sizes. Volunteers are also needed to sort and stock clothing, clean shoes, do laundry and assist clients.
The nonprofit’s Fall Festival is set for Oct. 17, when registered clients will receive winter coats, hoodies and Halloween costumes at no cost. “We live in such a generous community,” the organization said. “They care about their neighbors and recognize that these families live and work and play with their own families.”
RePete’s Closet for Kids is located at 541 Loveland Madeira Road and is open to clients Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information, including how to donate or volunteer, is available at repetesclosetforkids.org.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Loveland.