PITMAN — It's been a few years since Katelyn Eystad's house caught fire from a faulty clothes dryer. But the 13-year-old never forgot what it was like to lose most of her personal belongings. So this summer, when no one offered to rent the empty storefront in the rental property her mother owns on South Broadway, the Pitman Middle School seventh-grader asked if she could use it for a clothing closet.

No, not for herself -- for anyone who needs clothes.

Open since October, the Angels of God Clothing Closet has already helped about 270 families in South Jersey. Clients are referred by social service agencies, clergy, shelters and schools, and can come twice a month. At each visit, one person can load up two shopping bags of free clothing and personal toiletry items, or one family can fill one trash bag.

"My mom's a single mom, so I can relate to a lot of people coming in here,' said Katelyn. "A lot of our friends and family reached out and helped us. That really inspired me."

Her support team includes her mother, Elissa Eystad, and sisters, 17-year-old Lindsay and 8-year-old Brenna.

Comfortable behind a microphone, the outspoken teen has raised clothing donations and recruited many volunteers from her school and Pitman United Methodist Church, which her family attends. Faced with a monthly heating and electric cost of about $300, she organizes pancake breakfasts to pay the bills.

In February, the Eystad family will represent New Jersey at the Celebration of Family Volunteerism event at Disney World in Florida. Katelyn was nominated for the free trip by Sue Dixon, executive director of the Volunteer Center of Gloucester County.

"She's very special and inspirational," said Dixon, who met Katelyn last year as the student was researching the best way to run a clothing closet. "It's the scope of what she's doing at her age, on her own, independently. She'll even go out to speak to groups. That's highly unusual. Her commitment is unusual."

Katelyn's principal, Eileen Salmon, said her student deserves the honor.

"She just wants to reach out to anyone and everyone," said Salmon. "She's very thoughtful and thinks about the problems of the world and thinks of ways she can contribute."

The Angels of God Clothing Closet is also collecting donations for Haiti quake victims. And, Katelyn is collecting new sleeping bags and stuffed animals for Gloucester County homeless shelters.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/201001190310/NEWS01/1190345