{"id":415015,"date":"2026-09-30T20:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/415015\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T20:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:30:08","slug":"positively-jax-mother-honors-sons-memory-through-chandlers-hope-clothes-closet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/415015\/","title":{"rendered":"Positively JAX: Mother honors son\u2019s memory through Chandler\u2019s Hope Clothes Closet"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 At Chandler\u2019s Hope Clothes Closet<\/a>, volunteers sort donations, find sizes and welcome visitors looking for something to wear as they take their next step.<\/p>\n

For founder Michele Holbrook, giving people the chance to choose their own clothing is an important part of the work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want them to have that shopping experience to say, \u2018Oh my goodness, I have this beautiful outfit,\u2019\u201d Holbrook said.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s Positively JAX winner grew from a collection of clothes that began taking over the home she shares with her husband, John.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn came in the house one day and said, \u2018How am I getting to the bedroom?\u2019 And I said, \u2018Well, I\u2019m really not sure. I\u2019m on this side. So you have to figure it out,\u2019\u201d Holbrook recalled.<\/p>\n

Today, the closet has a receiving room where volunteers check donations and racks where visitors can browse and select what they need.<\/p>\n

During a recent visit, a group from a Nassau County sober living program came to shop. For Oliver, who was visiting with the group, the support offers something beyond clothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we hit our bottom, we\u2019re hopeless. We don\u2019t think there\u2019s another day, another opportunity. No one\u2019s gonna give us another chance,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then you come to a place like this where you have loving, caring individuals who just want to see you do better. Get that sense of hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holbrook also takes the work beyond Nassau County. At Operation New Hope in Jacksonville, her team sets up clothing for people preparing for life after incarceration. The organization helps people reconnect with employment and their communities.<\/p>\n

The reason behind Holbrook\u2019s work is reflected in a photograph on the closet\u2019s wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Chandler,\u201d she said. \u201cApril the 21st, 2020, he lost his life to a fentanyl heroin overdose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chandler Cook was Holbrook\u2019s only child. She remembers his humor and generosity, even as he struggled with addiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would\u2019ve given the shirt off his back, even when he was on the drugs,\u201d she said. \u201cHe just didn\u2019t know how to fight it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, his name lives on through a clothing closet built around helping others. Holbrook says her husband, family and volunteers help her carry that work forward, especially on difficult days.<\/p>\n

Messages from people who have found what they need remind her why it matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you receive a picture saying, \u2018I got the job because of this outfit,\u2019 that\u2019s important,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

There are still needs to fill. Holbrook pointed to children\u2019s shoes and men\u2019s dress pants as items the closet could use.<\/p>\n

Each donation gives another person a chance to find something that fits their life, whether they are preparing for an interview, rebuilding after a difficult chapter or simply getting ready for the day ahead.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 At Chandler\u2019s Hope Clothes Closet, volunteers sort donations, find sizes and welcome visitors looking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":415016,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[116,118,117,5436,12276],"class_list":["post-415015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news","tag-morning-show","tag-positively-jax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=415015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/415016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=415015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=415015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=415015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}