While volunteering at a food pantry in Olathe, Laura Dellutri saw customers needing much more than just food.
"[T]hey were needing winter coats, they were needing shoes and they weren't readily available," Dellutri said.
Thrift stores like the Salvation Army provide discounted clothes, but Dellutri wanted to give a more personalized experience.
Through the help of friends, and the vision of her late sister, Dellutri opened Angel Clothing Foundation in town.
Unlike at a thrift store, the new and gently used clothing comes at no cost to the customers — who are often unhoused, single parents, people in domestic abuse situations, or simply struggling to get by.
"They're lucky if they have $5 in their pocket," Dellutri said. "They do not have the funds to shop at Salvation Army or Savers."
Dellutri says that shoppers are greeted by compassionate volunteers who take interest in their story, help them find clothing and point them to additional resources they could find useful.
"It's more about giving love and no judgment and being a light to these people. You know, letting them feel like they're just as good as anybody else," Dellutri said. "Whether they're wheeling a duffel bag in that's duct taped, which I've had happen, and someone needing shoes, that they are just as important as any one of us."
- Laura Dellutri, founder, Angel Clothing Foundation
Angel Clothing Foundation Silent Auction, 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 29, 112 Clairborne Road, Olathe, Kansas 66062.
