What started as a small closet filled with free prom dresses for students has transformed into a boutique filled with love and courage at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy.
The school hosted a special ceremony today celebrating the renovation of Chloe’s Closet, a clothing closet for students in need, and the official launch of Chloe’s Kitchen, a new on-campus food pantry.
Both resources support students facing food insecurity or in need of essentials. They are the brainchild of Tyesa Walton.
A special education teacher at Dunbar, Walton created Chloe’s Closet in honor of her daughter, Chloe, who died shortly after she was born.
“We are bringing some good back to the hood. I am still in shock. I am still in awe,” said Walton. “Why give back? Why not give back? Someone helped me and now it is my turn. But I have a whole team of people helping me.”
Past students shared their gratitude for Walton’s work with NBC Chicago.
“What she did for students, what she did for me, I cannot even put into words,” said Nyah Gibson, who graduated from Dunbar last year.
Walton had the support of multiple sponsors to fully renovate the closet to better serve students. The pantry is made possible through donations from the Witherite Law Group,1‑800‑Truck‑Wreck.
“We are trying to make sure that kids get the essentials that they need,” said with Tristan Podlasek with 1-800-Truck-Wreck.
“Our organization came in and created a boutique. We designed the entire room with help from our partners,” said Sandi Robinson with ChiGivesBack.
Walton was named 2025 Teacher of the Year by the organization.
