The Blessings Closet

For the past nine months I have been living with one foot in the past and one in the present. After losing my husband of 20 years, I have dealt with an exhausting list of duties as I have dealt with the fallout of his death and planned for the future. Having accepted he is not coming back, it’s time to tackle a tangible task that doesn’t require a death certificate – disposing of Ted’s clothes.

As I contemplated what to do with the other half of the closet we had shared, I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with the nice suits and shirts he wore with pride. I turned to my friend Cynthia Betz, Director of Donor Relations for Minnesota Teen Challenge, and found a great solution.

Teen Challenge was founded in New York City in 1958. It is the largest residential drug and alcohol program in the world. One of 1,000 programs worldwide, Minnesota Teen Challenge (MnTC) typically houses more than 400 residents in Minneapolis, Duluth, and Brainerd. Individuals either enroll themselves or receive voluntary referrals from correctional institutions, courts, county social service agencies, insurance agencies, and churches. Funding comes mainly from private sources, such as churches, businesses and individuals, as well as from insurance.

By providing a place in which they can find love, acceptance, and understanding, MnTC helps individuals 14 years and older to escape from life-controlling addictions, with great success. Residents spend 12 to 15 months working through a four-level program focused on physical, emotional, and spiritual wholeness, culminating in a reentry phase focused on securing housing and employment.

Ted learned of MnTC in August of 2009 when he played in its annual golf tournament with his buddies Fred and Bob. He was deeply moved by the organization and spoke of it for days afterwards. When I asked Cynthia whether MnTC could use some men’s clothing, she assured me they would welcome it as an addition to “The Blessings Closet.” Since many who enter Teen Challenge have little more than the clothes on their backs, the organization has a closet from which residents can select shirts, slacks, coats, socks, shoes, ties – anything they need to participate in the Sunday church services, work in the community, or seek a job.

There is little pleasure in disposing of the belongings of one who has passed on. Yet, I feel that I’ve found the perfect solution for a painful problem. I’m confident Ted would be proud to have the men who are working the Teen Challenge program wearing his clothing. And I suspect the man who is lucky enough to score the white Hugo Boss shirt will feel like he hit the jackpot.