Keisha Clay was a dedicated volunteer with Dress for Success Kansas City and our local parent organization, Connections to Success. When she passed away in 2019, her family and friends supported a redesign of our boutique in her honor. Now named Keisha’s Closet, the boutique continues her legacy of service and care for others. We were blessed to know her and are grateful that her legacy will impact the lives of women in Kansas City.

Keisha was posthumously honored with a Tribute to Success award in November 2019. The piece below was originally printed in our 2019 Tribute to Success book as a tribute from her friends and family:

A native of Kansas City and a place she loved and lived passionately with motivating purpose. She served others through her life from an early age of volunteering at Children’s Mercy Hospital as a student at St. Teresa’s Academy; effectively inspiring children at the Kansas City Freedom Schools; selflessly interning at the YWCA of St. Louis; performing as an External Affairs Specialist and Director of AmeriCorps with the Boys and Girls Club of Kansas City; directly serving others as a Community Care Minister, Youth Leader for Propel, and staff leader at Kids Cor for the Church of the Resurrection; motivating others to give back in her role as board member for the Ronald McDonald House, Red Shoe Society, and her impressive service as a Business Analyst in Executive Operations at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Keisha often referred to each year as another chapter in her life of enjoying the journey. From a child she had a heart and passion for the marginalized and often expressed her concerns. Growing up in the Kansas City area, Keisha quickly learned that there were other children who were not afforded the opportunities she had. She was extremely grateful and humbled by her success and always utilized her platform to help those less fortunate. The driven and talented Keisha became a role model for others in her family and community inspiring them to achieve success.

Keisha began volunteering with Connections to Success in 2012 and was involved with Dress for Success; personal and professional development programs; and the professional women’s activities. She saw herself as a person who embodied vision and inspiration to others. Children were Keisha’s heart in serving; she saw the network of services at Connections as a direct impact to children as their parents became empowered to break generational poverty cycles. Upon completion of her master’s degree, Keisha requested in lieu of gifts, monetary donations be made to Connections to Success. Her continued spiritual walk, positive attitude and deep commitment to serving others was evident in each chapter of her well lived life. Inspired routinely by her stirring positive quotes and stimulating encouragement to others, her family and friends were inspired to move forward to support Connections to Success and the Dress for Success program. Dress for Success Kansas City was named Keisha’s Closet after its boutique makeover in honor of her. Motivated by her expansive reach and her impressive gift of time and talent, her family and friends are honored to generously support operations for Keisha’s Closet which will empower others to achieve economic independence and change lives.