Friends of Guest House residents will have a comfy new year, as more than 75 sets of new pajamas and cozy socks were donated to the nonprofit and handed out on Christmas Eve.
The donations are enough to keep the residents outfitted with pajamas for an entire year, and were made possible by Maureen Clyne, a local realtor, who started the holiday effort seven years ago.
“Women in incarceration seem to be an almost invisible constituency,” Clyne told ALXnow. “They go into prison with the clothes on their back, and so when they come out they don’t have a whole lot. They’re starting over. Pajamas are just a soft, personal and somewhat indulgent thing to have, and for Christmas, it’s a great time to have new PJs.”
Friends of Guest House’s residential program has helped more than 5,000 women transition from prison since 1974. The program provides 30 women from across the region with holistic support and housing in six-month increments every year.
Terry Garrett is a former Friends of Guest House resident, and is now a residential specialist for the nonprofit. She was a resident when she got a pair of donated pajamas several years ago, and said that they had a big effect on her.
“I never had pajamas before that,” Garrett said. “It was emotional, exciting, caring. I mean, there were a lot of different emotions going on, especially because someone cared enough to get us pajamas.”
Meg Judd, the development coordinator for Friends of Guest House, thanked Clyne for the donations.
“We love to partner with Maureen like we have in many years past to receive this generous gift to our residents,” Judd said. “It’s nice to make the holidays a cozy and special time for the women of Guest House.”
