Rolling racks filled with clothing are ready to be scoured for treasures inside a newly renovated space at 661 Main Street. It’s called Ash’s Closet in honour of Ashley Tokaruk, a volunteer with Main Street Project (MSP) who organized its Runway to Change fashion show fundraisers. “You can still enjoy that great experience of retail therapy or having a little bit of choice in what you get to wear,” said Jamil Mahmood, MSP’s executive director. Tokaruk’s family raised funds to transform the MSP space into a free closet for people who visit the shelter. Next, Mahmood said, Ash’s Closet will expand to people in other programs in the city. He hopes to eventually have enough volunteers so they can open Ash’s Closet to anyone. “We run our food bank in a similar way, where people get to grocery shop verses getting a hamper.” Clothing donations can be dropped off at 637 Main Street, through the back door of MSP’s emergency shelter.
