CULLMAN, Ala. – Curt’s Closet, established by Ashley Wilson in 2018 to honor the memory of her son Curt Wilson, has grown by leaps and bounds in six years. From a small, repurposed church building on St. Joseph Street, the youth clothing ministry relocated into a much larger new facility at 1101 Third Ave. SE in 2021, a move that Wilson called “definitely a God thing.” That site featured room for the well-known Curt’s Closet boutique, a sorting room, laundry room, office and boardroom and a free-standing warehouse to allow the storage of extra inventory onsite.
Along the way, the ministry grew to serve hundreds of families per year, and took charge of the 30 year-old Christmas Love program (previously administered by volunteers from Cullman Caring for Kids) to make not only school days, but also Christmas Day, better for local families in need. Doing so came at a cost, though: the big new facility began filling up quickly. It was time to grow again.
Wilson recently opened a second warehouse at Curt’s Closet, following a major construction project that included an upgraded parking area and new landscaping. The warehouse doubles the amount of onsite storage space, and creates a new and larger sorting area for donated goods.
“We are so excited to have our new building complete,” said Wilson. “As of today, we are able to accept donations at Curt’s Closet again. The new building will allow us to provide adequate space for volunteers we are in need of at Curt’s Closet, as well as providing more storage space to ensure we have all clothing and shoe needs in stock for our clients.”
About Curt’s Closet
Curt’s Closet serves children, teens and some adults through a need-based qualification process, plus children referred by school principals or counselors, the Cullman County Department of Human Resources and Victim Services of Cullman. The ministry also makes its resources available in emergency circumstances like house fires. Qualified kids and their parents/caretakers get to come and “shop” in an inviting space that is far more like a shop than a charity clothing closet, and walk out with dignity and a selection of high-quality clothing and accessories – a fair bit of it brand new, thanks to local donors and businesses – at no charge.
The organization is constantly taking donations of new or lightly used clothing, shoes and fashion accessories, along with still packaged new underwear and socks. Money is always welcome, too! Donations can be dropped off at the facility at 1101 Third Ave. SE in Cullman, as well as a number of other locations around town.
Wilson’s growing programs also need volunteers. Volunteer registration forms and a full list of drop-off points are available at https://sites.google.com/view/curtscloset.
To donate, volunteer or seek assistance, visit https://sites.google.com/view/curtscloset or www.facebook.com/cw20curtscloset, call 256-735-4557 or email curtscloset20@gmail.com.
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