As we grow regionally and across the nation, we are seeing new levels of urgent need for children and teens in crisis.

In response, we expanded our SOS Urgent Response Program.

The Catie’s Closet SOS Urgent Response Program is designed to meet the immediate needs of children who are transitioning between stable living conditions.

This includes children who are being supported by one of our vetted social service agency partners and who are homeless, moving into foster care, newcomers to the United States, fire victims, and survivors of abusive situations. All of these circumstances are extremely traumatic for children and teens.

Our partners include child and family services, hospitals and community health centers, foster care agencies, and shelters.

How does the SOS Urgent Response Program work? 

Our school and vetted social service agency partners place a special request order stating each individual child’s unique needs.

Catie’s Closet then creates a customized package with up to two weeks’ worth of clothing and other basic essentials.

The goal is to deliver the special package within 48 hours for a rapid response providing immediate relief.

Responding quickly means the child can re-engage in school and in life, mitigating the impact of the crisis they face.

We want each child to have the magical experience of visiting Catie’s Closet. Therefore, we highly encourage our partners to inform us of the child’s style preferences to help make them feel authentically themselves, especially in situations that feel out of their control. 

Even something as simple as a sweater in their favorite color or a backpack with their favorite character on it can help bolster a child’s resiliency and restore their confidence during such a difficult time. 

Check out this video that shows the process of filling an SOS Urgent Order.

Read: 3 Ways Clothing Impacts the Whole Health of a Child

“It’s very rewarding for us to be able to do that piece, for us to be able to say that we put together an order for a particular child and that made the difference in a child’s life, that made a difference of whether or not that child was going to be happy in school or bullied in school and whether that child will continue on in a way in which they will be successful and feel valued and feel good about who they are,” says Denise Trombly, Co-Founder and Director of Operations at Catie’s Closet. “That piece to me is an essential piece of Catie’s Closet that makes us so special, that makes us who we are and makes what we do so important,” she adds.

On any given day, we can have upwards of 100 special orders, and each order can include the needs of multiple children. For example, in June  of 2023, we received one order requesting items for 35 individuals. 

Oftentimes, a child using our SOS Urgent Response Program needs something beyond the regular supply of clothing and toiletries that we keep in our Distribution Center inventory. 

The ongoing economic and youth mental health crisis has put more and more families in situations that require social service intervention and support. 

Catie’s Closet proudly partners with our local community organizations and agencies to address the physical, mental and emotional needs of our children and families. 

With a supportive community, children can start on a path to healing from the traumas they have faced.

Our SOS Urgent Response Program stays true to our mission: to give students in need life-changing access to clothing and basic necessities.

The critical nature of these situations requires an immediate and dignified solution, which our SOS Urgent Response Program provides.

Are you interested in supporting our SOS Urgent Response Program? Donate today.

“Catie’s Closet could never have grown to the extent to which it has grown without community donations,” Denise says. “It’s what we function on. It’s the basis of what we do. It does make such a big difference in a child’s life. I can’t even describe it. It’s what allows a child to put aside all of the horrors of their lives and be able to say I can hold my head high…they don’t have to worry about how they look or whether or not they’re going to come to school with a shoe that’s tied up with duct tape. They’re just going to be able to get dressed and head on out, so it’s a huge impact.”

How you can help today.

Our SOS Urgent Response Program is a vital part of Catie’s Closet’s services. It positively impacts the lives of thousands of children every year.

Make a financial donation today to support this program.

Any amount you give can be life-changing to a child in need. We thank you for your support.