Penelope Closet Clean Up
February 7, 2025
Youth Leadership Mobile students engaged with the community at Penelope’s Closet, focusing on enhancing the store that supports Penelope House and addressing food insecurity. They organized the store’s inventory, making it more shopper-friendly and efficient, which helped sustain funding for Penelope House and allowed staff to concentrate on their mission.The group also contributed to the Love All Food Pantry's Valentine’s Day drive by donating non-perishable food, directly providing meals during a high-demand period. This initiative exemplified leadership in action for Mobile United, as students witnessed how a single day's effort can significantly impact—supporting domestic violence survivors, nourishing families, and demonstrating that leadership is practiced through service.
Youth Leadership Mobile’s day at Penelope’s Closet had two clear impact streams: strengthening the store that funds Penelope House and supplying food for neighbors in need through the Love All Food Pantry.
Tangible impact
- Store operations: Students cleaned, sorted, and organized inventory, which made the space easier to shop, helped merchandise move faster, and freed staff and volunteers to focus more on supporting Penelope House’s mission.
- Donated food: The group brought “plenty of non‑perishable items” for the Valentine’s Day food drive, directly increasing the number of households Love All Food Pantry could serve during a high‑need period.
Why this mattered to Mobile United
- This project translated Mobile United’s leadership training into visible, measurable help: a refreshed store environment, more saleable items on the floor, and shelves of food that would not have been there otherwise.
- It also helped students see how one Saturday of focused work can ripple out—supporting survivors of domestic violence, stabilizing families through food access, and modeling what community‑minded leadership looks like in practice
