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| photo by | Steven Hertzog |
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Clare Nderagakura Granger: Woman of Impact
Clare Nderagakura Granger, Community Organizer and Entrepreneur
There’s power in kindness. Need proof? Look no further than Clare Nderagakura Granger, a community organizer and founder of Clare’s Community Closet.
Granger jumped into volunteering in 2020, when she began helping Food Not Bombs, an organization that provides free vegetarian or vegan meals to the community. When she saw people also needed blankets and coats, she put out a call for them on her personal Facebook page. Community members donated the items, she gave them away and Clare’s Community Closet was born. When the effort outgrew her house, Granger leased a space and developed a long list of supporters who donated not only essential itmes but also funds to pay rent, utility and expenses. Granger now collaborates with Get It Give It Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit founded by Megan Haus-Divine located in Hillcrest Shopping Center that provides clothing, household goods and other items to anyone in need. Granger knows how much such kindness can mean to those living in poverty, having grown up in the foster care system and struggled at different points in her own life.
In her own words:
YOUR MENTOR/ROLE MODEL
One of my main mentors and someone I’m lucky enough to call a friend is Megan Green Harrison. I feel like I get a ton of support and guidance when I need it from key people in our community, but Megan has made such a huge impact on my life since the day she asked me to do the Lip Sync competition for the Willow 4 years ago. She reminds me to walk when I get the zoomies, and builds me up when something in my world inevitably topples over. And thats more often than any of us would like.
I get all kinds of practical knowledge of non profits from her, and the reasons why things are done a certain way. I like being able to create my own niche in that sphere and still be supported the way I have been.
KNOW ABOUT YOU
I think it’s extremely important for people to know that I do this out of love. For myself, for my community, for my kids…for my love of my home. I’m grateful for the opportunities I receive, and I just want to share the goodness I receive with others.
I think it’s hard for people to trust and
Provide for others because of pain and mistrust.
I want to infect people with goodness and love and the ability to forgive wrecklessly lol. We can all take care of each other, in small ways all the time. It all matters. 🙂
MAKING AN IMPACT
Making an impact to me is proven by the actions I see others take around me after I have shown my hand, or what I’m willing to do for our community. I love seeing others step up or believe they can after being able to see me do it.
I made a decision to continue making an impact through Clare’s Community Closet when I could tell it was a resource that was needed. I made the decision to keep listening to Community members, my gut and the Universe (or God however you like to identity “the something bigger out there) on wether or not this was my place. And every time I got too tired, discouraged or even sabotaged from my community work, the pull always came back stronger and clearer for me.
The whole process is evolving with my life and the needs of myself, my family and those around me. As it should.
LIKE TO SEE CHANGE
World Peace. Lol or maybe Lawrence Peace. Since Lawrence is like my favorite world to participate in. While I am actually serious, I think sooner than later I’d really like affordable housing and programs to support those needing it to really expand and explode. Like, let’s make getting basic needs easily, for everyone, popular.
