Catholic Charities: Clothing Drive Donation Impact on Those In Need

To see the story at Chicago Tribune's Triblocal, go to http://tinyurl.com/ybesatf

Better Homes & Gardens Gloor Realty Collects 2,000-Plus Items in Cold Weather Clothing Drive.

By Matt Baron

One person brought in a single sweater. Another lugged in 10 bags of clothing.

And over the five-week span of a Cold Weather Clothing Drive, numerous other donors contributed more than 2,000 items to the cause championed by Better Homes and Gardens Gloor Realty.

It all added up to major support for three area organizations serving people in need: KIPP Ascend Charter School, Vital Bridges and Catholic Charities.

The Oak Park-based real estate firm kicked off the effort on Oct. 14 and the philanthropic work continued through Nov. 20.

There were more than 100 coats, as well as scarves, pants, gloves, hats, mittens, boots, shirts, socks, and on and on. All articles of clothing—to serve people from head to toe—were welcome, as were items not necessarily associated with the cold weather.

It was a tremendous outpouring, not just in quantity but in quality of donations, said Rich Gloor Jr., the firms president. Just about everybody who came in to donate told us what a great idea it was and they hoped wed do it again.

Indeed, Gloor will build on this debut. The firm plans to expand the program next fall by about two weeks—from Oct. 1 through Thanksgiving.

The first time around was a total team effort, said Gloor, from one employee who has been dedicated to sorting and labeling the items and organizing logistics with beneficiaries to others that have brought in clothing and helped spread the word to other donors.

Packing the boxes at its 114 N. Oak Park Ave. office, about a half-block south of Lake Street, Gloor employees delivered the donated clothing to the three organizations.

The campaign was an outgrowth of the companys ongoing effort to be strong ecological stewards, with this green initiative the equivalent of recycling and re-using clothing to benefit those in need. In June, Gloor mounted a hugely successful paint recycling drive.

In addition to the Catholic Charities location in Cicero, the other two beneficiaries have personal connections to Gloor.

The co-founder of KIPP, Mike Feinberg, is a longtime friend of Gloor. The KIPP Ascend Charter School is a tuition-free, college preparatory middles school located on Chicagos West Side.

And Vital Bridges, which since 1988 has been helping people who are diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) counts Gloor Realtor Marge Patner among its volunteers.

Established in 1946 and with a current market presence encompassing 13 Chicago-area communities, Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Gloor Realty is an independent, family-owned company.

The company can be reached at 708-524-1100 and online at http://www.gloor.com.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Gloor Realty
• clothing drive
• Catholic Charities
• Cicero
• Oak Park
• philanthropy
• service
• voluntarism