Clothes For Kids – Legacy of a Fall River Farm Wife

By Keith D. Glasgow

Carolyn Walsh has always possessed a special love for children. It's the kind of connection you can feel just by being in her presence and chatting for a little while. One might even consider it a calling. But 20 years ago, even she couldn't have predicted where that calling would lead, and how many families would be blessed by the unique work and vision of a self-described farm wife from Fall River.

"In 1988 I worked at Columbus Community Hospital in the O.B. department," she relates. "So many moms would come in with literally nothing to take their babies home with. That's when we began putting layettes together for those mothers."

The layettes would consist of brand new baby clothing, diapers, lotions, blanket -- everything a new mother would need to get started. In a very short time, with the help of her family and a few friends, the layette program spread to other area hospitals. Funding to buy the items came primarily from individuals, church groups and organizations like Knights of Columbus, and Dodge County Right to Life. As a long time pro-life advocate, Carrie often thought about the number of young women who were choosing to abort their babies. She wondered, "Could it be that if more help was available to these moms, their decisions would be different?"

Facing an empty nest when Mary, the youngest of seven Walsh children went off to college, and in immediate need of space, the upstairs of their three bedroom farm house was transformed into a clothing center for infants and toddlers. Thus, "Mary's Room," the organization's first official name, was born. Both new and gently used items stocked the shelves. Everything from bottles to baby furniture were offered by appointment to young mothers in need -- often accompanied by a cup of coffee and a dash of motherly encouragement and advice.

"It was nice," Carrie recalls, "so many of the moms would sit at the kitchen table and talk with me one on one, while their kids visited the farm animals. They got to see a working family in action."

Mary's Room soon expanded into the Walsh basement, and it was clear that its growth would not abate anytime soon. Still working part-time at the hospital, Carrie had some decisions to make.

"Finally it was my son Mike who pushed me." She chuckled, "Mike said, 'If you're going to do this, you need to do it full time.' When I protested, he replied, 'That isn't what you taught us...put your faith into action!' and I realized he was right."

With a grant of $3,000 provided by the Knights of Columbus, Carrie and husband, John, began the search for a larger facility, and settled on the lower level of a dental office in Beaver Dam, still stocking only infant and toddler items. Over 300 families were served from those cramped quarters in the first six months of operation. During this time, her long time friend and helper June Westra volunteered to staff a one day per week office at the Dodge County office building in Juneau, which functioned as a satellite location for the outreach, making it even easier for mothers to access clothing for their babies. As growth continued and space diminished, Carrie's vision was to take a quantum leap when an unexpected phone call changed everything.

"I got a call from an anonymous donor with a similar desire to serve children in need," Carrie said. "He asked me out to lunch, and said, 'If we give you some startup money and provide a space for you, would you be willing to expand your outreach to children of all ages – infant through school age?' It really was an answer to prayer, and brought us here to our current location."

With that meeting, a new and expanded agency was born, known today as "Clothes for Kids," a not-for-profit, non-denominational, non-partisan, 501-c-3 organization dedicated to meeting the needs of school aged children, located in the basement level of the Hotel Rogers in Beaver Dam.

"It was decided that the organization would be community based and run strictly by volunteers," Carrie explained. "No state or federal funding would be accepted, believing instead that individuals, groups, churches, service clubs and the community would assist in their work."

Carrie doesn't like the word "Agency," though they certainly are one by definition. She prefers to think of Clothes for Kids as an exchange program. She explains, "Some of our clients we see real often. Others we see for six months or so, then they get on their feet and we won't see them again. Some get laid off from a job and have a short term need. Others suddenly find themselves single parents. Many have become friends of Clothes for Kids, and some initial clients have actually become regular volunteers now that their circumstances have improved. Poverty is not static, many folks come into, and then out of it due to circumstances. We are here to help when we are needed, and appreciate their help in exchange."

The addition of school age children to those served has obviously expanded the list of needs for the agency. For example, each school in the tri-county area annually provides Clothes for Kids with a specific list of school supplies each student will need for the upcoming year. Funds are solicited for these items from local donors, and volunteers negotiate bulk purchases of pencils, folders, scissors, glue, notebooks – even backpacks are purchased – so that each child receives everything required by their school. Add to that a new "free monthly haircuts" program administered by a volunteer hair stylist, a pair of brand new shoes, and whatever clothing is needed, and a huge burden has just been lifted from a family in need. Last year, 981 school age children received these items, freeing their family's limited resources for things like rent, heat and food.

With expanded services and growing client numbers comes the need for more volunteer help, and Carrie is quick to praise her team of 17 plus.

"Volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization, and ours are wonderful – I can't praise them enough." She said with genuine affection, "We could not exist without these truly irreplaceable individuals. I am constantly amazed at the skills they possess, and how just the right person appears to help with a given situation. They do this because of their love of children, and I can't thank them enough! When we started out, I didn't know any of these people," speaking of her volunteers, "and they're my best friends now."

Carrie, as director, has always been the natural spokesperson for Clothes for Kids – the one in charge of public relations, purchasing, grant writing, and speaking engagements - despite her first love of working directly with families. Through the years it has become even more necessary to branch out and expand efforts to bring more donors into the program to meet annual needs. Her labors, and those of her volunteers, have not escaped the attention of a number of service awards. Clothes for Kids has been the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Beaver Dam Education Association, the Book of Golden Deeds Award from the Beaver Dam Exchange Club, Midwest Living Magazine's Hometown Pride Award, and the Beaver Dam Unified School District's 2005 Wall of Fame Award. In addition, pilot programs based on the Clothes for Kids model have already been started in Waukesha, Milwaukee and Tucson, Arizona. A fitting tribute to the selfless vision of a Fall River farm wife, whose goal is to see a Clothes for Kids chapter in every Wisconsin county.

On the future of Clothes for Kids, Carrie doesn't hesitate. "Our most important future need is space," she said. "We need a home of our own where we can work side by side with other agencies to meet the needs of even more children and their families."

At age 71, with seven children and 30 grandchildren, you'd think she might want to slow down a bit, and to some extent that's true. Carrie has chosen her staff well, each with a love for children and a willingness to be hands-on, helping each client family. She is also in the process of training volunteers Kim Ritchie and Samantha Tennies to assume many of her more public duties, but is quick to point out she will always be involved with Clothes for Kids as long as God gives her life. In looking back on 20 years, she is grateful for the patience and support of husband, John, and her children, and thankful to God for making her vision a reality.

"You don't choose when you enter this world," Carrie shared in closing, "and you don't choose when you leave. But you do choose what you do in between."

Clearly, a lot of children and families believe she chose well.

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