LOCAL HERO Diane Bogdan • Linda's Closet

Diane Bogdan has always been grateful for as long as she can remember — the same amount of time she has spent giving back. &emsp;&emsp;Bogdan, of Keene, now spends a good chunk of her week as co-chair of Linda's Closet, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that provides free women's clothing to those in need in the Monadnock Region. &emsp;&emsp;She says her need to help people has always come from her faith. &emsp;&emsp;"If you count your blessings, how do you not share?" she says. &emsp;&emsp;Her spirit of giving back officially began when her two children were young when she served as an assistant Girl Scout troop leader and on her church's mission. &emsp;&emsp;Her 40-year career as a nurse (now retired) is the best evidence of her desire to work in the service of others. &emsp;&emsp;A native of New York State, she first worked at a facility for children with emotional/behavioral disorders and, later, when she moved to northern Vermont, in psychiatric units for the state's corrections department as the chief nursing officer. &emsp;&emsp;During her 18 years in Vermont, her volunteer service included serving as an usher at the Flynn Theater in Burlington (she was a house captain for a half-dozen years) and delivering holiday gifts for a local women's shelter. &emsp;&emsp;In Keene, where she's lived for the past 13 years, she worked in occupational health and wellness management. &emsp;&emsp;"I traveled all over the state leading wellness groups and doing biometric screening and giving flu shots," she says. &emsp;&emsp;Seven years ago, a friend asked her about volunteering at Linda's Closet. &emsp;&emsp;"I was still getting my feet under me," she says of volunteering. &emsp;&emsp;She accepted the opportunity and has now served as board co-chair (with Nancy Robie) for the fourth year. &emsp;&emsp;Linda's Closet, founded 22 years ago, is a living memorial to the late Linda Oliver, who wanted to help women trying to set goals for themselves. &emsp;&emsp;The boutique offers a wide variety of donated clothing in all sizes and for all aspects of a woman's life, from professional attire to casual wear, school clothes to formal gowns and accessories. Clothing can also be provided to fill emergency needs. &emsp;&emsp;"People are surprised when they walk in that it looks as good as it does," says Bogdan. "We have fun putting out special outfits and dressing the mannequins." &emsp;&emsp;Some volunteers enjoy providing shoppers with fashion advice. &emsp;&emsp;Bogdan and Robie work with 44 volunteers — about 30 of them active. Six volunteers work weekly, with two in the boutique each day it's open. Bogdan said they've taken on more than a dozen volunteers in the past year alone; more than half have signed up at a volunteer recruitment fair in Keene. &emsp;&emsp;The organization receives enough donations that they can only be brought in by appointment on Mondays, which donors may schedule from the website. Donations must be clean, in good condition and seasonally appropriate. &emsp;&emsp;Bogdan spends much of her time at the Closet sorting donations on Mondays — they allow for six white trash bags full of clothing per week (each donor may donate three at a time). Shoppers may visit during walk-in hours on Thursdays and Saturdays, or they can make an appointment to come in and shop on their own. &emsp;&emsp;"People can come in once a week and take up to 10 items," she says. "Lately, we've been seeing women who've lost (all their belongings) in a fire, so we'll make special appointments for them, and they can take from the store as much as they need." &emsp;&emsp;In its less-spacious first location on Center Street, the Closet had a storage unit; now, there are two back rooms for inventory. The Closet moved to its current location on Cypress Street five years ago. &emsp;&emsp;"We used to have to fill bins and take everything to the storage unit. Now everything is on-site, but we're still limited," she said. &emsp;&emsp;She spends about 10 to 15 hours there a week these days — during the pandemic, it was closer to 20 to 25 hours a week. She now has more time to spend with her four grandchildren and is considering volunteering for The Community Kitchen. &emsp;&emsp;What is most meaningful to Bogdan about her volunteer work for the Closet is the countless stories she hears about how the organization affects people's lives, like that of a woman who switched careers from manufacturing to banking and left with three bags of clothing for her new job. Or the story of a girl whose mother is incarcerated, and her grandmother brought her to shop for clothing at the boutique. Or the accounts of those who have lost someone and want to donate their clothing to a place that matters. &emsp;&emsp;"Knowing we're reaching women who really need us is what touches me," she says. "Very few of our clients aren't grateful." &emsp;&emsp;Volunteers at Linda's Closet also support other nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Hundred Nights Shelter and The Keene Senior Center, and institutions such as Keene High School. &emsp;&emsp;"We work hard at building relationships," says Bogdan. "That's a huge part of what makes this all work. We're trying to reach people who really need (our services)." &emsp;&emsp;She and Robie, along with Secretary Carrie Hoffman, have also built relationships to raise funds for Linda's Closet — a major fundraiser this year was NH Gives, which takes place every June. Hoffman also wrote and applied for a COVID relief grant the organization received during the pandemic. &emsp;&emsp;"The main purpose of fundraising is to meet our yearly budget so we can let our nest egg sit," says Bogdan. &emsp;&emsp;She pointed out that absolutely anyone can stop in for a boutique shopping experience at Linda's Closet. &emsp;&emsp;"We try to support and honor women — volunteers, donors, clients," she says. "That's what makes us unique." &emsp;&emsp;Learn more at lindascloset.org.