A community-benefiting idea years in the making has come to fruition in Statesboro. The Statesboro Jaycees Career Clothes Closet will have its official Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 4:30 p.m. at the Statesboro Family YMCA.
The Career Clothes Closet is a resource for members in our community to feel and look their best when applying and interviewing for a new job. Donations will be accepted of gently worn men's and women’s professional clothing and accessories. After being cleaned, the clothes will be organized at the closet. Anyone seeking employment that needs professional clothes for interviews or starting a new job will be able to schedule an appointment to shop the clothes closet for a complete outfit, at no charge.
The idea originally stemmed from a Facebook post from Chris Gohagan, a partner at Taulbee, Rushing, Snipes, Marsh and Hodgin, LLC. Back in 2021, he wrote a status about “the staggering number of people looking to enter or reenter the workforce in the post-Covid era. Many of these candidates lack experience and some basic resources needed for employment.”
“…maybe I can make a dent in the clothing issue for at least one person,” Gohagan continued. He also encouraged his friends and colleagues to do the same. This sparked a conversation in the comments among many community members that wanted to give back.
Fast forward to Gohagan attending a Statesboro Jaycees meeting shortly after, where, after a brainstorming session, the idea for a long-standing Career Clothes Closet was born. The torch was officially passed to the Statesboro Jaycees to get to work. They began collaborating with the Statesboro Family YMCA, raising funds, and working with other businesses in the community to make the idea a reality.
The transformation of the existing space at the YMCA to the Career Clothes Closet was no small feat. Intensive work had to be completed including floor replacement, dressing room construction, painting, and the construction of racks for the clothing. After a generously donated construction day by the crew at CMC Construction that jump-started the dressing rooms, the rest of the project was left in the hands of the project chairs, Matthew LaTulip and Hugh Mays. These two sacrificed many weekend mornings and afternoons of hard work making the Closet look its best and recruited other Jaycees members to help when needed.
Aside from the tireless work put on by the project chairs, there are several businesses that sponsored or donated to the project. The Statesboro Jaycees want to thank them for their generosity, as this project certainly could not have happened without them:
- Taulbee, Rushing, Snipes, Marsh and Hodgin, LLC
- Lowes of Statesboro
- Georgia Jaycees
- Action Signs
- Synovus Bank (Market District)
- Nesmith Construction
- McKeithen’s True Value Hardware
- Plank & Tile
Now, the Statesboro Jaycees are ready to present the closet to the community. All are welcome to the Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 4:30 p.m. at the Statesboro Family YMCA. Light refreshments will be served. Come see the finished product that will serve our community for years to come. You can RSVP to the Facebook event here.
