Lost and found is no longer the boneyard for forgotten sweatshirts, dropped gloves, and last semester’s gym clothes. These days in the Upper Valley, a school building’s lost and found section is a treasure trove, but only half because it’s full of free stuff.
“It’s kids’ clothes,” explains Monica Rutherford, organizer of the Upper Valley’s teens-only clothing bank, the Teen Closet. “I know it’s teen clothes, because it belongs to the teens.” And teens are the target market for the free bimonthly event focused on helping Valley children in grades 6 though 12, from financially struggling families, find the clothes they like to wear.
Teen Closet was created last year, just for this age group, Rutherford said, because when she worked for Encompass, she saw lots of organizations providing help for families with young children, and for seniors.