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The People's Boutique In Washington, D.C.

Zaniyah sleeps while her mom shops at the Bread for the City boutique.
Courtesy of Caroline Lacey
Zaniyah sleeps while her mom shops at the Bread for the City boutique.

This month we are collecting your stories about the good things Americans are doing to make their community a better place. Some of your contributions will become blog posts and the project will end with a story that weaves together submissions to make a story of Americans by Americans for Americans.

Three-week-old Zaniyah sleeps while her mom, Nicole Hearn, browses through racks of donated clothes. The "boutique," as the clients call it, is a room at Bread for the City — an organization that provides vulnerable D.C. residents and their families with food, medical and social services and clothing. The boutique is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at a center in the District.

Another client, Chuckie, has been homeless for more than three months. He hopes to get a new pair of pants today because his have too many holes — and "not the cool kind," he says.

Caroline Lacey is a photographer in suburban Washington, D.C. She listens to WAMU.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Caroline Lacey