Empty hangers help women in need of new clothes

Photo by Miguel Cedillo
Mary Luke Noonan, Arts & Sciences sophomore, folds a box of donated clothing.

Residents donate extra threads to clothing drive.

By BRIDGET O’BRIEN
Reporter

Students are making space in their closets to fill the closets of those in need.

The Lieben Center for Women is collecting clothes for the YWCA and the Siena/Francis House. The clothing drive, which began March 12, will continue through this Friday.
Clothes are being collected at Deglman Hall, Opus Hall, the Creighton University Medical Center and Russell Child Development Center.

“The Lieben Center exists as a resource to students on campus and provides programming on women’s issues. We work to foster a climate of support and empowerment for female students at Creighton,” said Allison Taylor, Deglman resident director and director of the Lieben Center for Women.

They are accepting all women’s clothing, which will be sorted between business and casual.

“Mary Luke Noonan, the student coordinator in the Lieben Center, has been a lifesaver in picking up donations around campus and organizing all the clothing for our drive,” Taylor said.

Business clothes will be delivered to the YWCA.

“They sponsor a ‘Career Clothing Closet’ where women can get business apparel for jobs and interviews,” Taylor said.

“The YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism and empower women,” Taylor said. “They advocate for all women, they provide job training and career counseling, they educate on health issues and provide safe spaces for survivors of rape and domestic violence.” 

Casual clothes will be delivered to the Siena/Francis House, which is located a few blocks from Creighton’s campus and serves homeless men and women.

“It’s an important service project for the Lieben Center to sponsor because it’s a way to help other women in the Omaha community,” Taylor said.

“Many students, faculty and staff on campus have clothes they don’t need or want anymore, and it’s an easy way to clean out their closet and help another woman in need.”

“I think that this is important because obviously Creighton women have a lot to offer,” Noonan said, Arts & Sciences sophomore. “We’re a blessed community in terms of what we are able to have.”

Noonan thanked all of those who have participated in the clothing drive and said the response from the Creighton community has been overwhelming.

Though the drive ends on Friday, Taylor encourages those with extra clothing to donate their old clothes.

Taylor said she wants people to know “there are always other ways to help here in Omaha.” 

“Collecting clothes for women in need is just a small service to the community.  Many of the local organizations who work with women in town are always in need of more volunteers,” she said.

For more information on the clothing drive contact allisontaylor@creighton.edu.