“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” — Haruki Murakami.
To say that Margi Bre weathered her storm would be the understatement of the decade.
Margi Bre is the founder of The Legacy Closet. The Legacy Closet is a 501(c)(3) outreach center that provides families in need with new and gently used items such as food, clothing, household items, toys, diapers, and basic essentials. At their store in Margate, families can select items they need or want at no charge. The Legacy Closet has an all-volunteer staff, and many of the center’s volunteers and donors live nearby in Coral Springs and Parkland. The Legacy Closet is the referring agency for the Coral Springs Special Crimes Unit and the Broward County School Board.
Margi Bre founded The Legacy Closet, in part, because of the financial struggles she overcame as a single mother. Margi had a troubled life throughout her 30s: she was evicted from her home and was forced to rummage for food in garbage cans to survive. Every single day, Margi prayed that she would wake from her nightmare and her children’s suffering would end. With the generous help of others, Margi slowly dug out of her dark pit and made an impassioned vow that, on some future day, she would help similar families in their time of need just as she had been helped.
Margi is not proud of her past but appreciates that it transformed her into the woman she is today. Although Margi is kind, dedicated, and selfless, these are not necessarily the qualities that make her unique. Margi is a beacon of hope. Like a crusader, she attracts people sympathetic to her cause. The freight train that is The Legacy Closet is moving full speed ahead, picking up more and more passengers at every stop.
Margi formed The Legacy Closet just 17 months ago. During the first few months, Margi donated items out of her garage on Sunday afternoons. At first, one family would receive help, then two families, then four families: and today, Margi is assisting tens of thousands of families per year with the help of over a dozen volunteers throughout the tri-county area (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach).
In the past three months alone, Margi has helped 40,000 families receive essential items such as clothing, soap, underwear, and socks. For Easter, Margi helped secure 100,000 pounds of chocolate from a corporate donor. This donation allowed 4,000 families the opportunity to celebrate Easter.
In 2020, the Darcy J Foundation, another charitable fundraising organization in Florida, awarded Margi the title of “Mother of the Year” for her selfless acts.
Margi loves that she can finally give back to others the way others gave to her when she was down on her luck. Margi takes great joy in knowing that she can tell any child who walks in the door, “You can have anything you want.” For some children, this is the first time in their lives they have heard this phrase. Something simple (and inconsequential to most) like a bag of gummy bears or a colorful, almost-new pair of pajamas can be the spark of hope a family needs to get them back on track.
Without fail, Margi’s patrons leave The Legacy Closet with tears in their eyes, knowing that “today was better than yesterday.”
Margi wakes up every day knowing that she is making a difference and instilling hope — hope that anyone can overcome their struggles with just a little bit of help. In just 17 months, Margi and The Legacy Closet have instilled hope in thousands of families. Margi survived her storm. It transformed her into the person she is today. With continued help from our community, imagine how many more families Margi and her crew can help to weather their own storms!
Thank you, Margi, for being the “Mother of the Year” to so many families.
You can learn more about The Legacy Closet at www.TheLegacyCloset.org