Every month, the Olds Community Lending Shelf packs as many as 50 boxes of children's clothing to help parents unable to dress their kids. But since creating the organization in 2008, Lucinda Watkins has met few of them.
Watkins runs the Lending Shelf out of her home at 5313 52 St., where an unlocked chest sits in the side yard, tucked out of sight behind a hulking fifth wheel trailer. This is where donations are dropped off and it's also the only place in Olds where people can get the clothes their children need, for free.
Clients connect with Watkins by phone or through the group's Facebook page. Then in her backyard garage, volunteers pack boxes or bags tailored to the children's needs – whether they're girls or boys, in need of coats or boots. Those packages are placed back into the chest for pickup.
There's a stigma attached to asking for help and Watkins wants to respect the privacy of those on the receiving end of it, especially in a small town. Outbound boxes are marked with the recipient's first name only. Face-to-face interaction between them and those who run the Lending Shelf is infrequent.
Watkins says there's a part of her that does wish she could meet more of the people she helps. However, she runs the non-profit to meet their needs and not for the personal satisfaction of a deed well done.
But when those encounters do occur, they're memorable.
The Lending Shelf started when she worked at the local employment centre and a man came for help getting back to work. She realized that he and the mother had nothing for a baby due in weeks. She asked if members of the Olds and Area MOMS Facebook group could do anything for them. They contributed enough car seats, strollers, cribs, toys, blankets and clothes to fill an entire boardroom, she says.
"The moms are a force to be reckoned with. You can quote me on that one," she says.
Watkins chokes up a little when recounting this story; it made her realize that there were so many other people in need. She glances at her "overflow" shed, donated by the Rotary Club of Olds to store clothing that's not in season.
"We have so much here. People shouldn't have to go without," she says.
Another time, a single mother from Red Deer paid her a visit. She and her kids had been living in subsidized housing and lost everything when their home flooded. Her son was wearing pajamas and flip-flops, with only a few days before starting Grade 4.
"That was one where we made sure he got quite a bit of stuff. I think we even got him a few new things just so he would have a nice back-to-school outfit," she says.
People are not required to return what they're given. However, the best practice is that they drop off what they've borrowed for larger-sized clothes as their children get older.
Watkins says people have been generous with donations, even when this fall was the busiest they've ever seen. Last winter, No Frills donated $200 worth of hats and gloves when they ran out. She's not sure whether usage is higher because the need is greater or if more people are learning about the service.
"We're trying to get the word out that we're actually here," she says. "It would be really great if churches and the town and different people in town would send us referrals so there's nobody falling through the cracks."
For more information, visit www.lendingshelf.ca
"It would be really great if churches and the town and different people in town would send us referrals so there's nobody falling through the cracks." LUCINDA WATKINS, Olds Community Lending Shelf founder
