Northland agency helps clothe Kansas Citians in need — but it’s outgrown its building | Opinion

Marjie Siegfried-Stuber wants to clothe more than 5,000 people next year. That’s double the number Kansas City’s Northland Clothing Center helped last year. But she can’t.

The center’s executive director doesn’t have enough space to hold all the clothes and volunteers she needs to outfit whole families with children.

That’s right, I said outfit whole families. When people are referred to the center, they don’t walk away with one suit, a dress or some jeans and a hoodie. They walk out carrying bags and bags of clothes. This includes outerwear, dress and casual clothes, even underwear, socks and shoes.

Growing children can return to get more clothes in six months.

If Siegfried-Stuber had a wish? “We need a new building.”

Because of the amount of clothing they gift to needy people each month, they go through a lot of clothes and space. Right now, the building at North Cleveland Avenue and Northeast Russell Road is jammed with items.

On the first floor, clients are treated to nicely arranged rows of hanging racks and shelves with dressing rooms for people to try on their clothes.

In the basement, however, the story of need is evident: bags filled with donations, ready to be sorted, piled in big mounds taller than me. It seems like a lot.

‘We will turn this over quickly’

“But when you consider we served 50-ish people last Saturday,” said Siegfried-Stuber. “And if all 50 then walked out with 50 items ... I mean, that’s racks of these things. You know, people don’t realize. They come down here and they think, ‘Oh, you have plenty of clothes.’ No, we don’t. We will turn this over quickly.”

She emphasized that everyone gets new underwear. “We don’t give any used underwear. They get some used socks, but primarily new socks at this point,” she said.

The center often buys new shoes for children, never for adults. “We want to make sure the kids are taken care of first and the vast majority of our budget is for clothing.”

Kids even get a stuffed animal or toy.

Posing with an toddler-sized coat, Siegfried-Stuber illustrated a troubling trend. “Yes, we see children that small. We’re not talking about just adults. I mean, every person deserves to be clothed appropriately. Especially children.”

From client to volunteer

Katie Smith was just 7 years old when she and her mother first started coming to the center, then called Clay County Clothes Closet. Today, she’s 23, a pre-med undergraduate student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a volunteer at the center.

Choosing to donate her time there was an easy choice, she said: “I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to give back after receiving so much help from them.”

Smith said back then getting clothing was like a “fun shopping trip,” even though she knew she was there because her family needed help.

“I mean they were very welcoming and I felt like the clothes and everything were pretty good and I could find things that fit in with what other people were wearing at school. So it never really made me feel embarrassed or anything like that,” she said.

Smith said her mother and siblings were referred to the center by a social service agency. That’s how it still works. Walk-ins are not accepted at the center.

Noha Shalabi, family advocate at the YMCA Northland Head Start, said the program has been referring families to the center for well over 20 years.

Shalabi called the Northland Clothing Center a “wonderful resource” for families.

“They really go above and beyond to welcome families and serve them with grace. In the past, they have even opened the clothing center for a family that lost everything in a house fire.”

Lack of public transportation a barrier

There’s a noticeable difference in the children after an appointment at the center, Shalabi said. “The children are so excited when they return to school from their clothing appointment. Many times they are showing off their new shoes and clothes. Parents love that the children get new underwear and socks.”

Smith agreed, remembering how she felt showing off her new things after a trip to the center. “We’d have a little dress up party when we got home to show off our new clothes and stuff. So that’s a very fond memory that I have.”

The biggest hurdle for families is getting there, said both Siegfried-Stuber and Shalabi. The building isn’t on a bus line, and transportation, especially in the Northland, is a huge barrier for the families.

“Even if a family can purchase a car, the required fees associated with maintaining insurance, tags and taxes are difficult for even two parent households to maintain,” Shalabi pointed out.

That’s why executive director Siegfried-Stuber dreams for a new building in a Northland location served by public transportation.

Is the dream too big? Siegfried-Stuber doesn’t think so.

“As I’m out there in the community — and I talk every single chance I get to talk in front of people — I say that somebody in that room knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who has an empty building that’s been sitting there for years, that needs a tax write-off, and we will be that tax write-off. Lease it to us for $1 a year, and you will have a building that’s filled, and you’ll be doing good work.”

OK, Kansas City, what about it? Who is the somebody who knows somebody who has a building in the Northland?

In the meantime, the center always needs volunteers, newer, clean clothes and new underwear, socks and shoes. Who can step up?

For more information

To donate: Drop off items at the center Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and the first Saturday morning of the month at 3939 N. Cleveland Ave. For questions or more information, call (816) 454-3960.

Most needed items: 1X to 5X clothing for men and women, clothes for children and infants, new socks and new underwear for everyone.

For information or to volunteer: Call or email info@northlandclothingcenter.org