Bellee Mary Lou Fragomeni-Nuttall was nominated for organizing an event that collects clothing for the Teal Saguaro and Sister Jose’s Women’s Center.

 Courtesy of Mary Lou Fragomeni-Nuttall

What: Ben’s Bells promotes kindness and community involvement. Each week a person who makes Tucson better is “belled.”

Last week’s recipient: Mary Lou Fragomeni-Nuttall

Nominated by: Charlene Fregosi

Why: For her work with the clothing exchange. Fragomeni-Nuttall has organized an event each spring for the last eight years that is called the clothing exchange. She invites her friends to donate their clothes to her, then she hosts a day of shopping at her house where the clothes are sorted and organized. Any item of clothing can be purchased for $5 and all of the money is given to The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, wrote Fregosi in her nomination letter. When the shopping is complete, the rest of the clothing is donated, often to the Teal Saguaro, a resale shop benefiting Tucson Medical Center, and for the past two years to Sister Jose’s Women’s Center, Fregosi wrote. This year, Fragomeni-Nutall and her friend took two carloads of clothes to the shelter. “The administrator was extremely moved by the gesture and sent news that the clothes would be given away and worn by the next day,” Fregosi wrote. The Community Food Bank has received over $10,000 from this grassroots event, she wrote.

For more information: Go to tucne.ws/bellee to submit a name. Go to bensbells.org or call 622-1379.

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