Grassroots and Mama Gina’s Closet are working together to cater to more people in San Luis Obispo.
For 50 years, Grassroots has been serving people in need in the San Luis Obispo community with food donations.
Now, Grassroots has found a new home in the city while adding to its services.
The organizations are working together and offering their services at 1022 Mill Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
“We are here to offer our new space that we have rented in downtown San Luis Obispo as a support to Mama Gina’s Closet and we will have her clothing set up for people to come in and receive for free,” said Grassroots Board of Directors member Heather Todd.
“It’s a place for donors to recycle their unwanted needs and for people to come and get the things they might need,” said Grassroots Executive Director Peggy Fowler.
“It puts us in a great position to be where people are who have needs,” Todd added.
The addition of Gina Carmen, founder of Mama Gina’s Closet, is adding another element to their community mission.
“I heard about their vision and said this is exactly what Mama Gina’s Closet is about and I really wanted a place downtown and they did too,” Carmen said.
“The energy and volunteers and resources she is bringing to the table I feel like are going to be valuable for both organizations,” Todd said.
“It is just wonderful what she does, and we hope to be finding homes for all of those things,” Fowler said.
“We’re excited to make it into a free store, and we have volunteers that we’re coordinating, and this will be a place where they can come and get food, they can get stuff they need,” Carmen said.
While the building doesn’t provide an answer to every problem the organizations are facing, they believe it is a step in the right direction.
“We need someone in the community that has extra space that they would be willing to put away the stuff that can be dropped off and our volunteers will come get the stuff periodically to fill the store up,” Carmen said.
“This really gives us the ability to welcome people, come into our space, and to have a little bit of elbow room and to showcase items instead of just handing them off so that people can have a choice which is also really important,” Todd said.
The office hours for the new Grassroots location will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To contact Grassroots, call their number at (805) 544-2333.
In addition to serving the community with clothes, Carmen is also working on a dance outreach program to cater to women and teens who have been dealing with abuse and trauma.
To contact Mama Gina’s Closet, email Gina Carmen at ginacarmen1225@yahoo.com.
