Jobwell associate Darlene Cousineau has finished her cleaning duties for the day at 525 Montreal Street, which is the central hub for Providence Care’s community programs and services. 

With the last hour of her shift, she switches gears and starts to organize donations, clothing, and small household items to sit in the back of the building on large racks for clients to take as they need.  

“I like going through donations,” explains Darlene. “I like to help people, and there are a lot of people who come in and get stuff, things they really need. There’s a lot of good stuff here.”  

What began as a small, Darlene-led effort to make use of donated clothing at 525 Montreal Street has since grown into something much larger. Her care, consistency, and eye for what clients truly need has helped shape an informal donation area into an organized, reliable resource. 

“I think having this is great,” explains Darlene. “Some people, they need help, and I like to help them.”  

Over time, this small initiative has become part of the organization-wide initiative called The Neighbourhood Sharing Closet. Across Providence Care’s sites, The Neighbourhood Sharing Closet provides patients, clients, and residents with clothing and other necessities at no cost. 

 At Montreal St., clients of Providence Care making use of Darlene’s organized closet are vulnerably housed, leaving crises with nothing, navigating life with a persistent mental illness, or those just trying to keep up in a world with ongoing inflation. Even clients at partner organizations benefit from the Montreal St. Neighbourhood Sharing Closet.  

“The world is so expensive. When I go through donations, I might come across something I think somebody could use. I knew a man experiencing homelessness and came across some blankets, so I brought them to him to help,” says Darlene. 

Jobwell Social Enterprise operates with the support of Providence Care to create businesses that offer meaningful work for adults facing ongoing mental health challenges. Since its founding in 1993, Jobwell has been dedicated to building inclusive employment opportunities in the Kingston area, helping individuals along their path to wellness and recovery.  

 Darlene has worked at Jobwell since 2020. Affirmative Business Support Worker Sydney Bulbrook supports Darlene’s work on the Neighbourhood Sharing Closet.  

“Darlene is the heart of this donation centre that’s set up here, and she does a phenomenal job of sorting and organizing everything,” explains Sydney. “It’s more than just receiving clothes and folding them; it’s receiving things, seeing if they’re worth someone else having with no rips, holes or stains. There’s a lot that goes into Darlene’s organization process,” she adds. 

All locations, Providence Care Hospital (752 King St W.), Providence Transitional Care Centre (340 Union St.), Providence Manor (275 Sydenham St.), and 525 Montreal St., have boxes set up at the main entrances for small, intentional donations.  

“There are some really nice things that get donated; some even have the tags still on it,” explains Darelene. “Bringing donations here helps people right in the community who really need it. I’ve seen the gratitude and even experienced it myself when I found a brand-new suit for my son. He’d never had a suit to wear before, and we were so happy to have that for him,” she adds.  

Because of Darlene’s dedication, The Neighbourhood Sharing Closet at Montreal Street has become a trusted source of help. She sees the impact of giving every day as she sorts through items to make sure they’re clean, in good condition, and ready for someone who truly needs them.  

You can donate gently used clothing and brand-new essentials like socks, underwear, and bras in person at all four Providence Care locations. Staff and volunteers ensure donations are distributed throughout the many sites. If you’d like to make a financial donation to help the patients, clients and residents of Providence Care, the organization accepts donations through its fundraising arm, University Hospitals Kingston Foundation. Money can be allocated directly to Providence Care. 

Learn more here about The Neighbourhood Sharing Closet: The Neighbourhood Sharing Closet – Providence Care