From The Cambridge Chronicle, April 24, 2001.

By Betsy Banks Epstein, Guest Columnist

Her mood is upbeat; her attitude is self-assured as she guides me down the concrete stairway to show me around the Children's Clothing Exchange at 56 Magazine St.

Sonya Darcy carefully explains that she did not always feel as positive as she does on this sunny April afternoon. In the past, she couldn't imagine how she would secure a regular job while juggling her childcare needs. Today she not only has a steady job as manager of the Children's Clothing Exchange, but her accomplishments are much admired by the founder and executive director of "Solutions at Work," Macy DeLong.

The Children's Clothing Exchange is part of "Solutions at Work," an organization founded in 1989 by Macy and others who were homeless at the time. They saw a way to help people out of homelessness through job opportunities or through learning new skills by being paired with mentors. As Shon Perry, board member and program manager for the Furniture Bank and Moving Up services which is another division of "Solutions" points out, some people need more than a second chance - some folks need a third or even a seventh chance.

Here clients get the support they need to rebuild their lives. Macy said her group's mission is to get people out of homelessness permanently. This involves more than simply meeting a person's basic needs. This includes various long-term goals of which transitional employment opportunities are an important part. Barbara Tagen, a board member and case manager for Transitional Employees, mentions that many administrators and staff members have been homeless themselves. They bring invaluable experience to this organization.

Similar to the board members who so generously shared their insights with me earlier that day, Sonya welcomes me into her store and explains the customers' routine. As many as 80 families a month drop in; some travel from distant locations in Maine. The Children's Clothing Exchange is the only pre-owned clothing source in the Boston area that does not accept money.

The idea is to either trade good quality for good quality or to volunteer instead. Sonya says that she is never disappointed. If a parent does not have an item to exchange, she always comes back to volunteer her services.

Sonya has noticed that her store fills up with all kinds of people, and they're not necessarily poor. Sandwiched between two elementary schools, the Clothing Exchange attracts mothers looking to meet other mothers as they sometimes recycle barely used party dresses. Although the Clothing Exchange exists in a basement room, visitors are greeted with a bulletin board gaily decorated with children's artwork. On this day, flowers cut from brightly colored construction paper dot one wall. Across the hall is a memo board where people tack up announcements and advertisements they want to share. Kids can choose books and toys to occupy themselves while their parents are shopping, and later take them home if they wish. The clothes are displayed with careful organization. The sunsuits and overalls are spotless.

In a back storage room, boxes of clothes categorized by season and size are stacked in tall towers. In the display room, mothers' clothing occupies one small rack. Sonya envisions how great it would be to have a larger space so she could show more mothers' clothing, but she knows that her location in a residential area is perfect. Right now she is squished, but she has fashioned a real community center out of a used clothing store. Children can tumble in the play area while their parents visit with each other. As far as I can tell, this manager has every reason to be proud.

© Copyright 2001, The Cambridge Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.

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