The Milwaukee Chapter of the Ladies of Charity have been clothing Milwaukee school children since 1957. The organization of about 120 members recently opened a new location our Our Lady of Guadalupe in Milwaukee. (Submitted photo)
A cold snap in January caused the radiators and pipes to burst at the Ladies of Charity Children’s Clothing Center, forcing them out of their beloved home of more than a decade at St. Francis of Assisi in Milwaukee.
In June, the organization moved to a new home at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the former Holy Trinity School at 621 S. Fourth St., Milwaukee.
“Our partnership (at St. Francis of Assisi) was vital in creating the increasing success we have achieved in meeting our goal to clothe the children in need,” said Susan Westlake, past co-president of the group. “The burst pipes caused structural building damage and the need to replace the entire heating system. The Capuchin Province determined it was not economically feasible to replace the system in a building of that age.”
The Milwaukee Chapter of the Ladies of Charity began in 1957, when they started clothing needy school children.
“The first clothing center was in a member’s garage. Over the years, we have resided at various parishes as space was available,” said Paulette Pecard, former Ladies of Charity President.
The organization typically serves more than 1,100 families a year, although numbers were down this year because of the closure in January. The clothing center is open throughout the school year, generally from late August until the end of April.
To determine which children require clothing, the Ladies of Charity work with social workers, principals and teachers in Milwaukee area schools. Each school year, the Ladies of Charity provides a voucher for distribution to disadvantaged families.
“They identify families in need, and provide the voucher and invitation to come to the clothing center to receive clothing for their children,” said Pecard. “School social workers are also able to directly obtain clothing for families who have transportation issues.”
Donations of new or used clothing from members and individuals within the community, as well as numerous clothing drives held on behalf of the Ladies of Charity from organizations, parishes, schools, businesses and charitable groups, keep the program going, Westlake said.
“Bombas has donated more than 15,000 pairs of socks to us in the past few years. We also purchase clothing as needed to supplement our used clothing inventory,” Westlake said.
The Ladies of Charity are always in need of jeans, warm coats, warm gloves and any type of school clothing for kids. One of the more difficult areas to fulfill is maintaining inventory in larger sizes for older children and in the current styles. There are no income requirements for families. The organization relies on the discretion of school staff to determine families in need.
In addition to clothing for children, the Ladies of Charity also participate in Laundry Love MKE, the Rising Stars tutoring program and local Capuchin ministries.
“Members are offered opportunities for prayer and fellowship through a monthly Mass, an annual Lenten Evening of Reflection, the September Opening Mass and Breakfast, and a Christmas luncheon,” said Westlake.
The Ladies of Charity have approximately 120 members with about 40 who actively volunteer at the clothing center.
“The clothing center volunteers may meet directly with families to help them select clothes, which is a joy for our volunteers,” said Westlake. “Volunteers may participate in many other ways: collecting and sorting clothing, repairing and laundering clothing as needed, scouring used clothing sources, such as thrift stores to purchase needed items, and shopping for necessary new clothing.”
Established in 1617 by St. Vincent de Paul, the Ladies of Charity is the oldest religiously oriented lay Catholic volunteer group. This international association of more than 200,000 women in more than 50 countries serves in many ways to support people living in poverty.
All members are volunteers with no paid positions. Their expenses include only items that directly benefit their mission to clothe the children, such as the purchase of clothing, rent, utilities, and administration expenses, including insurance and office expenses.
“In addition to clothing donations, we receive funding from membership fees, member donations and memorials, nonmember donations and contributions collected through our annual fund drive. We also receive grants and donations from parishes and community organizations,” said Westlake. “We have been truly blessed with the generosity and support of our members and the community. We hope to recruit new members to help in this meaningful work.”
For more information on the Ladies of Charity and how to join or donate, visit https://www.locmilwaukee.org.
