The Ladies in Blue originated in 2015, when Beaverton Police Officer Michel Wilson came up with the idea to host a clothing exchange in her basement for women associated with the law enforcement community. Police officers, spouses, dispatchers, and other professionals who worked with law enforcement, as well as their friends and family all came together in the spirit of sharing and empowerment. After seeing the success of this event, Michel recruited Officer Mandi DeFrain and Sergeant DaNeshia Barrett to the group. Together, they shared a goal of including those in the community who could benefit most from access to gently used and new professional and casual clothing at no cost and without judgement.
In 2019, after several years of hosting the event at Mandi’s home, the Ladies in Blue Clothing Closet was formally established. The group hosted the first public event that year, drawing close to 200 community members, mostly women and girls from around the area to share clothing and support each other. Michel has always had a strong connection to fashion and recognized the importance of providing a safe space for community members to choose their own clothing. She also cherished the opportunity to create a positive and personal experience between community members and police.
Much of the clothing for these events continues to be donated by women who have a connection to law enforcement and want to give back to their community. Recently, a number of small business owners have begun to regularly donate clothing to the organization. The clothing not selected at the event is always donated to local charities to be distributed to those in need. The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19 but in 2021, and 2022 the annual events were back in full swing. Our 2022 event saw almost 500 community members come in the doors.
In late 2022 the Beaverton Police Department provided the Ladies in Blue Clothing Closet dedicated storage space to store donations until the annual clothing closet that the Ladies in Blue host at the Beaverton Resource Center, located at 13565 SW Walker Road. The Beaverton Resource Center is a community-based resource that offers assistance with basic needs, parenting, youth and crisis/abuse support. The work of the BRC is highly regarded by the Ladies in Blue and their support is appreciated.
Looking towards the future, the Ladies in Blue Clothing Closet will continue to host this event on an annual basis, our 2026 event will be held in October with the date, time and location to be determined. To serve the community in a greater capacity, the Ladies have started an emergency clothing closet for the Beaverton Police Department in an effort to better serve the members of the community who have been affect by crime or trauma by providing emergency clothing donations to anyone identified by the BPD to be in need.
2026 Event will be in October, with date, time and location TBD.
Ladies in Blue Posts
Explore the following posts for insights and inspiration:
Ladies in Blue 