“This feels right, I look like me.”

Jessica was a young person that I didn’t know very well. She was polite but preferred to keep to herself. She rarely came into the Drop-In and when she did, she would grab some food and leave.

One morning Jessica walked in visibly upset. I sat next to her and asked if she was doing alright. She then shared that all her clothes had been stolen.

I quickly offered to grab her some clothes from our clothing room, but she declined. She explained that because of her body type, it was difficult for her to find clothes that fit her properly.

I let her know that if she gave me her sizes, I could put in a special request for her. She quickly perked up and gave me a list of items she needed.

The following week when Jessica came in, I greeted her with a pile of clothing to try on. She excitedly reached for the clothes and rushed to try them on. When she walked out her whole demeanor had changed. She did a quick spin and said, “this feels right, I look like me” and had a big smile on her face.

Helping Jessica find clothing that made her feel like herself not only supporter her basic needs but will go a long way in helping us build a stronger relationship with her. Hopefully, if she needs help in the future, she will know she can count on Covenant House Vancouver.