Meet Kelly Warner | President & Co-Founder of FWCC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Warner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
FWCC was founded to help everyone with clothing. Our mission is to connect the community with clothing. We always say, “We don’t need to know your ‘why’, we are just happy you’re here.” Everyone needs clothing and in our economy where most are struggling, having a new-to-you wardrobe for yourself or your children can be a huge help. If we can clothe a family so they can get a tank of gas to get to work or put dinner on the table, we are happy to help. We never ask for income verification or have forms to fill out. Our goal is to help everyone, regardless of socioeconomic class. Additionally, everyone is treated with respect and integrity and we encourage folks to shop for clothing that enhances their style or brand. The right pair of jeans can boost self confidence and help people put the best version of themselves forward.

What should our readers know about your business?
At FWCC, we pride ourselves on being open to EVERYONE. Many clothing closets are associated with churches, and schools, or are only open to foster parents. While we may assist these organizations and provide clothing for their closets, our organization is completely independent and open to everyone.

We grew much faster than we thought we would in two years. Our organization started when a Facebook group of moms started swapping clothing as our rapidly growing children would grow out of last year’s shorts or coats. We were helping so many people, that we decided to open it up to the community and hosted our first community-wide event at RD Evans Community Center. At our first event, we called it a clothing “swap” and the only requirement was to bring an item of clothing you no longer wanted. We had so many people tell us that the event was awesome and they wished there were more of them so we decided to turn it into a non-profit. Since April last year, we have served over 850 people and distributed over 5,000 pounds of clothing.

One of our other main goals is to reduce textile waste. Nothing gets thrown in the garbage and we recycle 100% of what can’t be worn. For example, in the beginning, we needed bags for people to shop with. We didn’t want to utilize plastic bags so we took t-shirts that weren’t in wearable condition, but still in decent shape, and turned them into reusable shopping bags for our customers. Everyone who comes to our events is gifted a t-shirt bag to shop with!

We partnered with the Greenbin Program to recycle any clothing or shoes that weren’t in wearable condition. This allows those textiles to be recycled and repurposed for a multitude of other resources. Since last year, we have recycled 3,794 pounds of clothing.

Currently, our biggest challenge is storage space. We utilize storage units to store our inventory before the next event. We started with one small storage unit and currently utilize three with no space to spare. We are looking for a new home where we can store all of our inventory and sort donations in one building. This would allow us to bring in volunteers to help with the sorting and we could better organize our inventory so we could respond to individual requests. If anyone wants to give us a new home, that would be greatly appreciated!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived in Fort Worth for almost 5 years and I’m still discovering things that I love about this City. First, we would have brunch at one of my favorite breakfast/lunch spots, Yogi’s on Hulen. They make their own bagels and have the most amazing egg benedict options. Next, since it’s Saturday, we’d hit up Clearfork Farmers Market and hope that the Beignet Bus is there for a little sweet treat. Fort Worth is home to one of the coolest zoos in the Nation so we’d walk around and check out the new Predators of Asia and Africa exhibit. For dinner, we’d head to Bonnell’s for the finest Texas cuisine. Make up a special event that you’re celebrating because their homemade truffles are to die for!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
FWCC could not exist without our co-founder and the other half of my brain cell, Haley Ballenger. One day I asked her if she wanted to start a non-profit and without hesitation, she said, “Why not?” I couldn’t do this without my husband, Bryan Warner, who never hesitates to help me with my newest, crazy adventure. Lastly, the other board members, all of our volunteers, and community partners. Without them, this non-profit would not exist. They work tirelessly to serve our community and proudly wear a smile while doing it.

Website: https://www.fwcollab.org/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/FWCommunityCollab

Facebook: http://facebook.com/FWCommunityCollab

Image Credits
Bryan Warner, Haley Ballenger