YWCA Executive Director Jamie Beedham-Rada and My Sister’s Closet Coordinator Judy Fuller cut the ribbon at the new location down the hall at YWCA of Genesee County at 301 North Street on Thursday. JW Cook/Finger Lakes Regional Representative for Gov. Hochul was also on hand.
My Sister’s Closet Boutique has moved to a larger space at the YWCA on North Street in Batavia, on Thursday morning a ribbon cutting was held to celebrate their Grand Opening. The new space recently became available at the YWCA.
“Pathstone recently moved out and it is double the size, Dr. Branch is our landlord, and we worked with them to get the additional space so we could expand,” says Jamie Beedham-Rada, Executive Director of the YWCA of Genesee County.
The move for My Sister’s Closet took about a month. Jagged Edges Salon assisted with donations to support the move of My Sister’s Closet.
“They are why we were able to do this renovation and make it a nicer closet for the community.”
According to the YWCA description, the primary mission of My Sister’s Closet Boutique is to provide affordable clothing to women and families in the community. There are outfits for women who are entering or re-entering the job market available, and the shop is open to the public.
Proceeds assist the YWCA Domestic Violence Crisis and Prevention Services Program. The Closet also provides domestic violence clients with clothing when needed.
The former location of My Sister’s Closet is now becoming an office space for a Crisis Counselor, Case Manager and a Prevention Educator for domestic violence, all which have been made possible through grants.
“We’re growing our staff to go out and help in the community,” says Executive Director Jamie Beedham-Rada.
A food pantry will also be operational in a few weeks.
“We partnered with Foodlink and August 13th is going to be our first delivery of food, and we will be opening a Community Food Pantry, so we are hoping to feed a few hundred families in our community each month.”
Beedham-Rada says there is a growing need in the area.
“The food insecurities are growing exponentially, and they just can’t keep up, so we wanted to get on the band wagon and do what we could do to help.”
Beedham-Rada says the non-profits in the area, The Salvation Army, The Goose in Oakfield, Community Action, The Little Free Pantry at the Presbyterian Church in Batavia, and the Rotary Pop-up Pantry in Le Roy, along with the YWCA, are all working together.
“We know that there is an intersectionality of all of our services and we’re trying to work together to make these changes because we know that we have to be the front runners to make it happen. We’re partnering with them to make sure that the days that we do it, are days that they are not, so we are complimenting each other.”
