Thursday’s Dignity Closet event on March 28th was an occasion to remember. Women listen to the grove of music while they shop till they drop. In recognition of Women’s History Month, the municipality of Hope Mills set aside a day to give back to women in the Cumberland County community.
The municipality distributed donated items, clothing, shoes, accessories, and toiletries, free of charge to the many attendees.
Many volunteers and community partners from various organizations, including the Fayetteville Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the Public Works Commission (PWC), the Goodwill, the Fort Liberty Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Cato, the Women’s Veteran Interactive Foundation, the Tau Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, and Unilever, worked together with the town of Hope Mills to help make this event a success.
All credit goes to Hope Mills staff members Ashley Wyatt (Town Clerk) and Jamie Gesslein (Victim Advocate Officer), who orchestrated this profound event. Their purpose was to commemorate Women’s History Month in a special way for the community. The writer spoke with Wyatt, one of the event organizers, to discover more about what it means to put on such a unique event.
Highlights of the Women’s Dignity Closet Event – March 28, 2024; Photo Credit: Tracey Morrison/The Exclusive Press
“[As women], my cohort, Jamie, and I knows that women like to shop. So, we decided to put up this event, open it up to the community, and really see what it turned out to be. Honestly, everything turned out better than we could have thought,” Wyatt said.
This is only the beginning; they hope to bring the same magic again next year. Wyatt states that the planning team will put their heads forward on how this event went and is looking forward to achieving even better results. According to Wyatt, the event sparked a lot of interest from the community and other community partners in hosting more events.
The town also receives full support from its administration team, which shares the same ideology of making a community impact. “Our mayor and board of commissioners are really community-focused, and so is our town manager, who is very community service-oriented, so it’s super important for all of us,” she added.
More highlights of the Women’s Dignity Closet Event – March 28, 2024; Courtesy of Ashley Wyatt
Women’s Dignity was more than just a token of appreciation; it was also a remembrance of women from all walks of life, rewarding them for their societal contributions and accomplishments.
Visit https://www.townofhopemills.com to stay abreast of future events hosted by the municipality.
