Interim Superintendent Anthony Soto along with members from Holyoke Public Schools and Catie’s Closet gather to open Catie’s Closet at Peck Middle School.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
HOLYOKE – Catie’s Closet, in partnership with Holyoke Public Schools, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 17 to celebrate the grand opening of a brand-new, in-school closet at William R. Peck Middle School.
The closet provides students free access to clothing, toiletries and essential items, removing a critical barrier to school attendance and helping students feel confident and prepared every day.
Catie’s Closet has been serving 350 students inside H.B. Lawrence Elementary since 2021,
The expansion to William Peck will enable the future opening and operation of additional Catie’s Closets across the district, serving nearly 4,800 students.
Under this recently signed agreement, HPS will open additional closets in 2026, with the long-term goal of establishing a closet in all district schools in need. The expansion follows the school district’s recent emergence from state receivership.
“We are honored to partner with Holyoke Public Schools at such a pivotal time,” said Mickey Cockrell, CEO and co-founder of Catie’s Closet, “Our valued partnership will give thousands of Holyoke students greater access to the essentials they need to thrive in school and in life.”
Catie’s Closet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was launched in 2009 by Cockrell and Denise Trombly.
Through its in-school closet program, Catie’s Closet transforms unused areas inside schools into safe, welcoming spaces where students in grades pre-k through grade 12 can discreetly shop, free of charge, for clothing, toiletries and other necessities.
By arming students with the power of choice, Catie’s Closet fuels their confidence, encourages them to stay in school, and unlocks opportunities to break the cycle of poverty, according to the co-founders.
Since 2010, Catie’s Closet has partnered with schools and social service agencies across Massachusetts and New Hampshire to help thousands of students each year. According to its website, they help over 100,000 students daily and have closets located in over 140 schools throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Catie’s Closet’s expansion into Western Massachusetts began in 2023, with the opening of its third distribution center in East Longmeadow.
Interim Superintendent Anthony Soto talked about the continued partnership with Catie’s Closet.
“I just wanted to say thank you to Catie’s Closet, Mickey and her entire team,” Soto stated, “They’ve been an amazing partner here in Holyoke Public Schools. It’s just an amazing opportunity to boost kids’ confidence and have them show up everyday ready to learn.”
Catie’s Closet began as a tribute to daughter, niece, sister and friend, Catie Bisson, who passed away at the age of 20. As a teenager, Bisson understood the barriers children in cities experience, according to the organization.
Bisson felt strongly that education should not be a privilege. Her legacy now lives on in Catie’s Closet, and her memory is honored by helping children access the essentials they need to attain an education.
At the ribbon cutting, Soto talked about the importance of Catie’s Closet and its influence in Holyoke.
“Our partners at Catie’s Closet have always stepped up to the plate whenever we needed them to, and it’s just a great partnership here in Holyoke. We have slogan called ‘Juntos Podemos’ — ‘Together We Can’ — and that doesn’t just include people within our Holyoke Public School community. It also includes partners like Catie’s Closet,” Soto stated.
Soto also thanked the sponsors who made it possible to open numerous Catie’s Closets across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, like the one at Peck Middle School.
Community members in Western Massachusetts can support Catie’s Closet by donating new or gently used youth and teen clothing, host clothing drives, make monetary donations and encourage their company to get involved.
To learn more about Catie’s Closet and how to get involved, readers can visit catiescloset.org.
