When she was homeless with two young kids, many came to her aid. She’s paying it forward

Margi Bré knows what it’s like to rely on the kindness of strangers to get through a tough time.

Nine years ago, Bré, who was living in Broward, found herself homeless with two children after leaving a domestic violence situation. Over the next year and a half, she said there were countless people who came into her life and offered her a roof over her head, food and even a car.

As soon as she landed on her feet, she knew immediately that she wanted to “return the favor” — a saying that she now passes on to others.

That basic concept has morphed into a nonprofit organization she named The Legacy Closet — a way that she could honor her own family and leave a “legacy” or footprint on the community.

Through the organization, people donate furniture, clothes, baby items — or pretty much anything else you can think of — and Bré makes sure that those who need it, get it at no cost to them. She’s also enlisted corporate donors and teams up with other organizations to provide services and shelter, in some cases, to people who are struggling. Financial donations help with the overhead.

There are three physical locations of the closet, one in Miami-Dade, one in Broward and one in Palm Beach.

A huge part of The Legacy Closet is its social media presence with more than 20,000 followers.

Within the space, people offer up goods including beds, dining room furniture, couches at no cost. Then people claim them and arrange to pick them up.

“There is a lot of healing in helping others,” Bré said.

Opens first Legacy Closet in Margate

Bré began small, helping other mothers in need through other organizations. She’d often volunteer to pick up donations then drive them to the person in need.

Then, in 2019, she had an idea.

She’d use the garage of her home in Broward to collect donations and then distribute them. Before long, she said it was getting to be “too much traffic in and out.”

That’s when she decided it was time to get space to collect all of the donations. She opened the first location in Margate in October 2020.

Anyone can make an appointment, come into the “store” and “shop” for what they need. Bré said almost everything they have is new or like new because “everybody deserves nice things.”

The stores — which can be visited by appointment only — are stocked with clothes of all sizes, shoes, kitchen gadgets, toys, books and other items.

The organization also began holding mass distributions for specific items including baby supplies, school supplies and clothing.

In February 2021, she opened the Palm Beach location and in July 2021, she opened the Miami-Dade location.

Getting support from others

Jacqueline Toledo, who runs the Cutler Bay location, said she found Bré through Facebook at a time when she also wanted to give back.

In June 2018, her husband was shot and became quadriplegic. She spent most of her time caring for him. It was during that time when she realized that there are people who truly care.

“Strangers gave me a hand, gave me a hug,” she said. “My mission now is helping others.”

Toledo, whose husband died in Aug 28, 2020, volunteers her time almost every day at the closet, which is tucked in the back of warehouses.

The store is neatly arranged by category. She spends most of her days picking up donations and then sorting them in the store.

In the Cutler Bay location, there are bins of school uniforms, shelves of shoes and numerous strollers, cribs and other baby items on the top floor.

The organization runs solely on volunteers. And many of the volunteers are those who have received help from the organization, Toledo said.

Toledo, who has three boys, said people come by all the time with bags and boxes full of donations.

“This is my heart and soul,” she said.

Collaboration is key

In addition to getting the “things people need,” Bré said they also do what they can to help those who are hungry.

The Legacy Closet has been teaming up with B’Nai Torah Congregation’s TLC Little Free Pantry project.

The locations in Margate and Royal Palm Beach have had the pantries for months.

In October, the group donated a pantry for outside the Cutler Bay warehouse. The pantry is stocked with non-perishable items and is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

The motto is simple: “If you have, give; if you need, take.”

Bré said the pantries are popular — for those who want to donate and for those who are food insecure.

“I am a big proponent of working together,” Bré said. “We are all passionate about the greater good of people.”

‘Return the favor’

For Bré, one of the most satisfying things about what she does is when she gets to tell someone to “return the favor” when they can.

Michelle Delgado lives by that rule.

The single mother of three teenage boys found herself in a rough spot when her car died and she had no transportation. The thyroid cancer survivor, who also cares for her mother and grandmother, said getting to work was always stressful.

Then on Aug. 25, a day after her birthday, The Legacy Closet surprised her and her family with an SUV that had been donated to the organization.

“We all cried,” she said. “It was just amazing.”

She said the one thing she loves most about the organization is that there are ways to get help and there are ways to give help. She said whenever she can, she and her boys volunteer and donate things they no longer need.

“When you know what it is like to struggle, you understand what someone else may be going through,” she said. “It’s really satisfying to be able to help others.”

To help or receive help

The Legacy Closet is a 501(c)(3) organization that runs through donations and volunteers.

Locations: Miami-Dade, 18569 SW 104th Ave. in Cutler Bay; Broward, 6000 West Atlantic Blvd., Suite 5, in Margate; and Palm Beach, 4240 121st Terrace North in Royal Palm.

For information: Miami-Dade, 786-694-8897; Broward, 954-470-1118; and Palm Beach, 561-788-3878. The website is www.TheLegacyCloset.org.

To join: The Legacy Closet has an active group page on Facebook.