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Free Store Helps Des Moines Families Get Back-to-School Ready
DES MOINES, Iowa — A little help can go a long way. “When refugee families resettle, they only get three months of support, so our organization is here to maybe fill in some of those gaps,” said Cara Lutes, a second grade teacher and member of Des Moines Refugee Support.
On Saturday, Des Moines Refugee Support served as a bridge of support with a free pop-up store for the community. Lutes said, “Families can come and get hygiene products, small furniture, clothes, shoes.”
Back-to-school supplies were also available as return-to-learn plans remain unpredictable due to COVID-19. “No matter what shape or form school takes right now, we still know we need back-to-school items,” Lutes said.
Recent storms have left many in the dark, literally. “I’ve been without power for six days now and still without power,” said Amber Dooley of Des Moines. Because of the needs increasing due to storm damage and the pandemic, the store was open to all. “Over 60 people signed up to bring donations and we had over 40 people sign up to be volunteers,” said Des Moines Refugee Support organizer Alison Hoeman.
Dooley was in need of girls clothing and the timing of the free store couldn’t have been better. “I was like oh my word, seriously? I’m getting ready to have my niece placed in my custody and I am not a mother,” said Dooley.
The volunteer group was founded in 2016 by Hoeman and many other Des Moines Public School teachers like her who noticed growing needs among their students and their families. Hoeman said, “Socks and undies seem to be a big thing. It is an expensive item. So many of our kids come to school without socks or undies.”
To help limit the crowds shopping at the same time, the group gave out tickets with slotted times. Within 30 minutes of the event, over 1,000 family members were given a time slot to shop. “Right now during COVID, income is different and this can be a small way that we can walk alongside people,” said Lutes. They are in it together one step and one pop-up store at a time. “Communities coming together and doing this, this is amazing,” said Dooley.
The group is taking all leftover donated items to Cedar Rapids to assist EMBARC efforts to help residents in Linn County that are impacted by Monday’s storm.