As New York tries to deal with rising numbers of migrants, a store called the Little Shop of Kindness offers them free clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other supplies.

New York

In New York, a unique establishment known as the Little Shop of Kindness is extending a helping hand to migrants by offering free clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other necessities. This initiative comes as the city grapples with an increasing number of migrant arrivals, seeking to provide them not only with material aid but also with a sense of dignity and respect.

The shop was founded in 2022 by Ilsa Thielmann, motivated by the surge of immigrant arrivals to New York, many of whom were transported to the city from southern states. Since its inception, the Little Shop of Kindness has become a beacon of hope for migrants like Luz, who arrived in the U.S. from Colombia with her family. Her experience at the shop, being able to choose items for herself and her daughter, underscores the true essence of the initiative - granting those in need the ability to make decisions for themselves in a respectful environment.

With over 175,000 migrants having arrived in New York and accommodated in makeshift shelters since last year, the need for such a service is unequivocal. The store's growth from about 10 volunteers in its early days to over 1,000 registered volunteers now highlights the community's support. These volunteers, including Doris from Colombia, play a crucial role in managing donations, assisting guests, many of whom do not speak English, and maintaining the shop's operations.

Initially, the popularity of the shop led to long lines and even instances where people would sleep outside to secure their spot. This issue has since been resolved by allowing guests to book appointments through an app, making the shop's resources more accessible. Though most of the shop's visitors originate from Latin America, it is now also aiding migrants from African countries and China.

As immigration continues to be a contentious issue in U.S. politics, especially with the rhetoric intensifying around election campaigns, Thielmann expresses concern but remains hopeful that the positive contributions of immigrants will be recognized over the misconceptions. Through each act of kindness, the Little Shop of Kindness not only offers immediate assistance but also stands as a symbol of compassion amid the broader challenges faced by immigrants.



New York boutique provides migrants with free clothing

All this for free. This is the special offer the little shop of kindness makes to new immigrants here in New York City. For example, for my daughter, I have this shirt. It's almost summer season, God willing. Luz came to the U.S. from Colombia with her husband and two children. It's her first time at the shop. How does she feel about it? Very, very grateful, really, because you come here as an immigrant and you don't have anything. I'm very grateful for the way they take care of you, for the help that they give. The little shop of kindness was founded by Ilsa Thielmann in 2022. Besides providing much needed material help to immigrants, it is exactly this kind of positive experience that she wanted to give those who come here. I was really determined to create a space where they could, where our guests could have some agency over what they chose, to have the dignity of trying things on and being treated as valued customers rather than a problem. Ilsa started the shop in response to a surge in immigrant arrivals to New York in 2022. Many of them bused to the city from southern states. About 175,000 of them have arrived since then and are being accommodated in makeshift shelters across the city. We started getting bus loads of migrants sent here by the governor of Texas. And we just rallied the troops and got, you know, lots and lots of volunteers. We started with about 10 volunteers in August. And by December, we had 800 people signed up to help out with that. And we've only grown since then. Over 1,000 volunteers have registered online by now and keep the shop running. They handle the donations from individuals and companies and provide help to guests, many of whom don't speak English. Doris is originally from Colombia and came here to study English. In her free time, she helps out at the shop. I've always loved to be able to help. In my country, I did it too. And here I had the opportunity to do it. So here I am, giving this beautiful service to so many people. This personal support and the welcoming atmosphere have made the shop popular amongst new immigrants. So much so that it started causing problems. We used to have a line out in front of our shop and in front of our pop-ups. And people were so desperate that oftentimes people would sleep outside the night before, outside the shop, so they could be first in line. Now, people can simply sign up and book an appointment through an app. Most of the shop's guests are from Latin America, but now more and more come from African countries and China as well, Ilse says. With immigration being front and center of this year's election campaign, she says she is worried about the increasingly extreme rhetoric used against immigrants. Just the election itself and the campaigns, it's going to intensify around immigration. And I'm hoping that, you know, that people recognize that immigrants are an asset to this country and don't believe the lies that are being told about them. The contentious immigration debate will continue to shape U.S. politics beyond the election. But local initiatives like Ilse's shop will continue to make a difference with the little acts of kindness.

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