Local Community

October 16, 2020

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER – Catholic Charities Worcester County received the first of several planned carloads of clothing for its clients on Oct. 6 - and the delivery led to discussion about a long-term partnership.

Bringing the clothes to Catholic Charities’ office on Hammond Street was K&B’s Krayons and Beyond, a nonprofit organization in Westborough.

“We got some corporate donations” of new clothes last year and this year from J. CREW, Torrid and Ugg “and we’ve been accumulating” donations of new and gently used clothes from individuals, Brandi Cespedes (Shaw), K&B’s president and a member of St. Patrick Parish in Whitinsville, told The Catholic Free Press. “We just knew that we needed to help out the local community and we reached out to Catholic Charities, letting them know … we had these items. … We worked with them last year” offering free clothes directly to those in need at the Bishop’s Christmas Dinner, which Catholic Charities organizes.

Ms. Shaw said the clothes are the first donation to Catholic Charities by the “grassroots effort” which she and then-partner Kelly started in 2015. The word Krayons in the name comes from the fact that they wanted to start with children at a very young age, Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) said. “We wanted to incorporate the whole family, because a child can’t learn” without proper nutrition and having his or her other basic needs met.

“We collect anything and everything,” including cash donations, to help people directly or through other nonprofits, she said.

While delivering one of the first two loads of clothes, Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) told Catholic Charities workers Maydee Morales, director of emergency services, and Madalyn Sirois, social media and fundraising coordinator, about the donations K & B’s receives. Ms. Morales, in turn, told Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) about Catholic Charities’ programs and clients’ needs.

“I definitely think this is going to be a long partnership,” Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) said. 

Ms. Morales got excited about the possibility of helping K&B’s run concessions at Gillette Stadium (and thereby being at concerts and other events there), where Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) said her nonprofit raises most of its money. Money has not been coming in because of the cancellation of events there due to the coronavirus, she said.

But the women rejoiced in their efforts to help others.

“I love working for Catholic Charities,” Ms. Morales said. “Catholic Charities allows me to meet my life’s mission.”

Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw), who had earlier told The Catholic Free Press, “It doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing something that brings you joy,” said to Ms. Morales, “I think we’re women of the same heart.” Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) said she has a paying job elsewhere to support her family; all K&B’s workers are volunteers.

K&B’s sends donations abroad, but “we had a lot of winter clothes which don’t go to the Caribbean,” said Dee Wilson, a K&B’s volunteer who came with Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw).

Mrs. Cespedes (Shaw) told The Catholic Free Press she hopes to deliver clothes to Catholic Charities twice a week in October.

Catholic Charities welcomes the gift of winter clothes, especially at this time.

“The impact is two-fold – for our families who have less income due to loss of jobs during the pandemic (and) the homeless who live on the streets, who will not be able to get out of the cold,” Ms. Morales told The Catholic Free Press. She said some shelters are not reopening or are still deciding what to do.

The Emergency Stabilization and Homeless Prevention programs of each Catholic Charities office, and the men’s and women’s recovery programs, will distribute the clothes, she said. Some of Catholic Charities’ clients are coming out of incarceration or are in recovery from addictions.

Representatives from other Catholic Charities locations can come to the Worcester office to get some of the winterwear for their clients. She said the offices are trying to figure out how to safely open their clothing closets.

“We feel like we’re blessed,” Ms. Morales said. Because of this donation, Catholic Charities won’t have to turn people away.

Will it provide all the clothing clients need this winter?

“I go by faith,” Ms. Morales replied. “That’s going to meet the need for now. If I need more, it’ll show up.”