Fitting in during the teen years can be challenging, especially for teens struggling with the added stress of living in poverty. Teens’ Closet volunteer Nan DeChant understands this more than most and is committed to helping teens ease those stressors.
Teens’ Closet is a program of Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership in Prescott and provides new clothing at no cost to area teens ages 13-19 who cannot afford to purchase clothing. It also provides assistance with finding jobs, interview preparation, college applications, locating resources for food and more.
A Humble Beginning
DeChant can relate to these teens’ struggle for stability. At just 11 months old, she had already been placed in six foster homes.
Shortly before turning one, she was placed in the home of a loving family. For five years she was raised, loved, supported and nurtured in their home, but sadly she was unwillingly removed from their care by her biological mother, who did not care for her well.
DeChant said, “As God intended, at age seven I was returned to and adopted by the same loving family that took care of me for five years.”
Clothing as a Method of Healing
Looking ahead in DeChant’s life, she retired and was able to travel the world. Four years after retirement, she and her husband moved to Gig Harbor, Wash. where she was led to volunteer at the Washington Correction Center for Women (WCCW).
DeChant stated, “I guess you could say there is something about a closet that draws me [in].”
She did procurement for WCCW's Clothing Closet, which provided clothing to the women who had received their release date from the correctional facility. From there, her journey led her and her husband to Prescott, where she quickly began making connections, volunteering and helping those in need.
Keeping the Closet Full
Now, DeChant is a volunteer shopper at Teens’ Closet and has spent hundreds of dollars of her own to purchase clothing for teens in need. Teens’ Closet is constantly stocking new styles to help teens feel confident, shopping sales using monetary donations and gift cards.
By all accounts, Teens’ Closet has been blessed by Nan DeChant. Thank you for being an angel!
Supporting Teens’ Closet
If you or a teen you know are in the Prescott Quad-City area and experiencing financial burden, it is easy to make a private appointment by calling Teens’ Closet at 928-379-1667. Teens’ Closet is located on the campus of Taylor Hicks Elementary School at 1845 Campbell Ave., Building 100, Room 101, in Prescott.
You can help teens and get an Arizona tax credit. Specify Teens’ Closet in the donation form. Or help stock Teens’ Closet by purchasing items from our Amazon Charity List. Add items to your cart, include your contact information in your gift receipt and check out. Items from our list will be shipped directly to us.
Krystal Koons is the Supervisor at Teens’ Closet. She has been with North Star Youth Partnership, a program of Catholic Charities, since 2006. North Star values all youth and empowers them to be healthy, self-assured and involved in their communities by providing programs offering educational, recreational, leadership, and service learning opportunities.
