Street Store is a pop-up and rent-free clothing store which gives free clothes to homeless people. The story began in 2014 when they made a one-time event to help provide clothes for the poor and homeless from Cape Town, South Africa.
Today, this initiative is spreading on a worldwide level and is helping people have clothes to wear without having to pay.
The Beautiful Story of Street Story
Street Story is the brainchild of copywriter Kayli Vee Levitan from M&C Saatchi Abel in Cape Town. She was pitched to help a client, i.e. the Napier Haven Night Shelter.
The ideas included a typical clothing drive; however, Levitan believed they could do much more.
She explains that they wanted more than a cold clothing drive because people would donate once or so, but they wanted to donate in the future too.
The idea for Street Store happened when she and Max Pazak, her art director, were standing on their office terrace in Green Point- an upscale and trendy area, but also a place with large homelessness.
These opposite worlds were in the same location; however, they never met. So, she wanted to mix these two communities for a dignified and humane cause. And, the product was Street Store.
They began advertising their event on social media and the first one was held on the street where there was a shelter for the homeless. Those who wanted to make a donation of clothes did it in person and could interact with those who were receiving the clothes.
Each of the donated clothes was hung up in separate sections and the homeless could browse through the clothes, instead of going through trashcans. That day, there were 1000 bags of clothing donated! Wow!
How a One-Time Event Turns into a “Brand” for Homeless?
This event made them realize that homelessness is not exclusive to Cape Town or to South Africa so Levitan and Pazak decided to offer the pop-up street store concept to organizations that want to join in. Luckily, the internet helped them a lot.
Joining the Cause
This concept allows organizations worldwide to participate in this humane project. If an organization wants to open up this type of store, you need to access the start-up guide available on their website Street Store.org and download the five International Street Store posters and print them out.
There is also a section to add info about your organization. When everything’s prepared, you just send them to Street Store in order for them to publish it on their website and open up a Facebook event.
The posters can be used as hangers for the donated clothes and shoes. Before the event begins, place the posters on an outdoor fence so that donations can be hanged up. When the event is finished and the clothes have been taken, the posters are collected and recycled.
Kindness Lives
After 4 years, these stores have appeared in more than 500 different locations in 200+ cities worldwide.
In the last two months, they’ve been seen in Nigeria, Bogota, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Georgia, etc. This wonderful project with an amazing cause continues helping those in need.
Sources: