Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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45 MAY 2019 CONTACT Tickets to the Dress to Impress Gala May 15 can be purchased at uncommonthreads.org early 2018. Crespo was homeless and living in a shelter after moving to the United States from Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. She was in a bank teller job training program at Lawrence Community Works, and her instructor referred her to the bou- tique. "I will never forget that day," Crespo says of her visit to Uncommon Threads. "I found what I needed. I was going through a rough time in my life." Now Crespo teaches that training at Law- rence Community Works herself, and refers many of her own students to Uncommon Threads. That pay-it-forward, women-help- ing-women ethos is at the heart of Uncom- mon Threads' growth. Since it first opened in November 2016, the organization has served nearly 1,300 clients and is now focused on adding new programs that empower women. Uncommon Closet is a key element of that growth. The shop serves as the pro- gram's social enterprise—it currently "it is an important part of our fundraising efforts," Kanoff says—and is located right next door to Uncommon Threads. "The store has im- mense potential," Kanoff says. "We're already trying to think about the next steps." Among those next steps is increasing Un- common Closet's open hours and expanding its online shop. The store also hosts fun shop- ping events, like its recent "Denim and Tee" spring sale and its upcoming Dress to Im- press Gala fundraiser on May 15 at Salvatore's Event & Conference Center in Lawrence. The gala will feature music, dancing, food, drinks, and a silent auction, all to benefit Uncom- mon Threads. "It's a super-fun, get-dressed- up, strut-your-stuff event, but the highlight of the night is hearing from our courageous and beautiful clients," Kanoff says of the gala. This year, Chico's is the premier sponsor. e overall program has expanded beyond clothing, too. ere are monthly self-esteem- focused workshops on topics like expressing yourself through art; there's a series called "Fo- cusing" that's run by an Andover psychologist; and they also offer programs about healthy eating and self-care. "Uncommon reads is really shifting to become a women's center," Kanoff says. "Clothes are at the core, but really it's about relationships and women helping and supporting other women." Kanoff hopes to add to this programming even more by expanding the workshop of- ferings and including "services that are not particularly affordable for a lot of women but are really important for de-stressing and boosting self-esteem," like meditation and reiki. She also hopes to start a mentor- ing program called Uncommon Friends that matches clients with female mentors from the local community. A great way to help is to do some shop- ping at Uncommon Closet or donate some high-end pieces to raise money for the program. Kanoff adds that donations are tax-deductible, since Uncommon Threads is fiscally sponsored by Family Services of the Merrimack Valley. "The store has become a place for every woman to shop," Kanoff says. "There's all different price points ( from $5 to $100), it's really fun, and everyone is shop- ping there for the same reason." Customers can come and shop for high- end pieces without breaking the bank. All proceeds support Uncommon Threads.