Helping to Better Dress Those Less Fortunate

Jeanette Varnum’s big heart has been known to get her into trouble on occasion. There was the time, for instance, that a Burbank Temporary Aid Center colleague brought in a change of clothes and shoes for an important post-work meeting, and Varnum accidentally gave the fancy footwear away to a needy patron.

Or the time a client, in an eleventh-hour search for an appropriate outfit, stopped by the center on her way to a job interview. Unable to find the job-seeker’s shoe size among the donated footwear in stock, Varnum discreetly removed her own shoes and handed them to the unsuspecting, grateful recipient.

“Jeanette and [her husband] Jennison have a genuine heart to give to the less fortunate,” said Sherry Combs, former executive director of the aid center. “Their capacity for giving is rare.”

Rare and unwavering. The couple have shown up at the center without fail twice a week for 22 years to help improve the lives of those in their community.

“We do this work because it gives us a reason to get up in the morning,” Jeanette Varnum said. “Most of the time, we get more benefit from the work than the people who come here to get the clothes.”

That’s hard to believe, after seeing the long line that forms outside the center every Tuesday and Wednesday, at least an hour before the doors open for business.

“Jeanette and Jennison are the backbone here,” said Kevin McKenna, the aid center’s executive director.

Taking her husband’s hand as they headed over to the Varnum Clothing House--named in the volunteers’ honor--Jeanette Varnum, a tall, slightly built woman, pointed out changes the center has undergone since opening 25 years ago.

“Word about the aid center has really spread, so people line up at the gate beginning at 8 a.m., and it doesn’t slow down all day,” the 83-year-old volunteer said, as she inspected a shed brimming with donated clothes. “I’ve always felt that giving away clothes is as important as food handouts; a nice appearance increases job possibilities, and many of our clients use these clothes for their interviews.”

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center, located on Magnolia Boulevard in the heart of the city and open weekdays, offers short-term emergency support to those needing food, shelter, clothing and furniture.

The center also offers referrals to public and private social service agencies and church groups, and assists those seeking jobs.

Jeanette Varnum, a former part-time elementary school teacher, heard about the aid center through her church more than two decades ago. Her husband joined her in her volunteer effort after retiring from his teaching post at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

The couple, longtime Burbank residents, were introduced to each other in 1946 in San Diego, where Jennison designed sonar equipment for the Navy after the war. The couple, who have two grown children, have been married 53 years.

“This work keeps me young,” said Jennison Varnum, 82. “If I sat in front of the TV all day, I’d be gone by now. It feels good to help people.”

The Varnums recently were named Angels of the Year by a group of East Valley charitable organizations that honors outstanding community volunteers at an awards ceremony once a year. The Varnums and others will be recognized next Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Beverly Garland Hotel in North Hollywood. The public is invited to attend.

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