SANDOWN — Brittany Martin made a few dreams come true when she took on her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
Family friend Terese Martin had long imagined a place where Sandown residents in need of clothing could go and "shop" for what they needed.
When Martin was searching for her Scout project to obtain Girl Scouting's highest award, her mother suggested she do something with bat houses. But, Martin said, that didn't interest her enough.
"I had always helped out at the food pantry when I was younger and I thought this was definitely needed," she said. "It was kind of fun to start something."
It was a lot of work, too. And more than a little fundraising.
Although Martin originally thought she needed about $4,000 to launch The Clothing Closet, it ended up requiring nearly $7,000.
The "closet" is a shed next door to the Sandown Food Pantry, both located behind Town Hall on Main Street. Martin and others who help operate the project hold clothing drives every few months. That's the only time they accept "gently used and clean clothes." They will be open this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m., accepting holiday and winter clothing. There's a particular need for items for teens and young adults, Young said.
The closet is open to any Sandown resident who needs it. It operates on an honor system. People are allowed to take up to 10 items per family per visit, Martin said, although exceptions are made for particularly large families.
She and Young sort through the donations after they have a drive, keep what they can use, and donate what they can't to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The Clothing Closet opened Sept. 29. It's open two days a week, plus one Saturday a month.
"It's actually pretty big. A lot of people have been using it," Martin said. "I think it's definitely needed. People have been thanking me. It's pretty steady when we're open."
Many people combine visits to the food pantry and the closet, Martin said. The food pantry has been in existence for decades, run by longtime volunteer Eleanor Bassett, who was an inspiration for Young.
"Eleanor just inspires me. She's just so generous," Young said. "She sets such a good example for the whole community."
Martin may well be leading the next generation of Sandown volunteers. The 18-year-old Timberlane graduate works part time at a pizza parlor and is a student at Great Bay Community College.
"It is something I had in my mind for the past few years now, to help people just like the food pantry would," Young said. "It's worked out really well. It's about community helping community. (Martin) has done a phenomenal job."
Martin originally planned to build a shed for The Clothing Closet, but said she couldn't raise enough money to do that. Post Woodworking gave her "a big discount" on an 8-by-16-foot wooden shed, and set it up for her.
Now she's trying to raise more money to put a floor in the shed and build a sidewalk to it and the food pantry. A recent haunted walk generated $1,200 for the project.
"The Gold Award took me two years. There was a lot of paperwork to do ahead of time," Martin said. "Once all that was done, it took me two months to put the shed up. It was 90 hours of work."
She had the selectmen's blessing, according to office manager Lynne Blaisdell.
"They definitely gave her their full support. It was something that was definitely a need," Blaisdell said. "There are many times that we have people asking where they can get school clothes and there's definitely going to be a need for winter clothes."
Martin and Young see The Clothing Closet as a permanent part of Sandown. It will operate year-round.
"I think it's great, just people helping people," Young said. "It's just an avenue to help people right now in these hard times."
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Want to help?
What: Donate gently used, clean clothing
Where: The Clothing Closet, behind Town Hall
When: This Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m.
Volunteers needed: Call Brittany Martin at 887-0784 or Terese Young at 887-7272.
Need some clothing?
Who: Sandown residents
What: Limit of 10 items per family per visit
Where: The Clothing Closet, behind Town Hall on Main Street
When: Tuesdays from 4 to 5 p.m., Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m., the last Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m.
