LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX News) — The clock is ticking for a local nonprofit as Fayette County Public Schools finds ways to tackle its looming budget problems.
The Lexington Woman's Club, which has clothed Fayette County school children in need for nearly 80 years, learned it must vacate its clothing center at 701 East Main Street by Dec. 31 after the district indicated plans to sell the building.
The center provides children with new clothing, including socks, pajamas, coats and school uniforms. They also accept gently worn clothing, accessories and toys to give away.
Co-president Renea Dixon estimates they serve between 1,200 and 1,400 elementary students each year. She says the club has dressed over 75,000 kids since 1948.
But earlier this month, the club received a notice from FCPS informing them their last day in the building would be Dec. 31. The letter stated: "We do not have internal capacity and have not found an external partner."
Dixon said members were shocked by the news, given the organization's long-standing relationship with the district. Before moving to the former Henry Clay High School location three years ago, the clothing center operated out of a district-owned home on Bullock Place.
"We're just shy of 80 years of Fayette County providing a space for us, and now we kind of got the rug jerked out from under us," Dixon told LEX News.
In a statement, FCPS told LEX News:
"First and foremost, this decision in no way diminishes our gratitude for the Lexington Women’s Club. For years, their clothing center has provided essential support, care, and dignity to thousands of FCPS students.
Fayette County Public Schools formally notified the Lexington Women’s Club that 701 E. Main Street will no longer be available as of December 31, 2026. While FCPS no longer has the facility capacity to house the center in this building, our team has worked and will continue to work with their leadership to help identify potential new locations.
We are deeply thankful for their partnership and remain committed to assisting them through this transition."
But Dixon said the club has largely been left to search for a new home on its own.
"We've been given names for us to contact, and so far that has not helped," she said.
Dixon hopes someone in the community can offer a free location before the end of the year. If that doesn't happen, the club may be forced to put its inventory in storage while their search continues.
"I guess we will be paying for storage now and putting all this in storage and continuing to look for a place for us. We really hate that 80 years of this going down the tubes," Dixon said.
The ideal location would include separate boys and girls bathrooms and bus accessibility, since children travel to the center from school by bus. Dixon also estimates their current location totals 5,000 square feet.
Anyone with leads on a potential location should contact the Lexington Woman's Club.
