About Us

Clothes for Joes was created in November of 2015. On behalf of Dan Shiebel, Matt Cobb, along with an Iraq war veteran and his wife, started their mission to ensure every Veteran in the community had a winter coat with a coat drive at Texas Roadhouse Fort Wayne.  

Incorporated in January 2016, Clothes for Joes received 501c3 status within a few months and initially operated inside the Texas Roadhouse property that has since become Cookie Cottage. 

For a few months, we operated out of rented self-storage units, and within a year of inception, Clothes for Joes was operating a veteran store in historic downtown Fort Wayne at the old Fairfield Hall. The property manager generously donated the lower level for our operation. The 7000+ sq. ft area provided enough space to gather donations, process, sort, store, and display clothing in a retail-like setting. Veterans shopped through aisles of free products and relaxed at nearby tables, enjoying coffee, snacks, and good company.

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Though the store was open to the Veterans every Saturday from 10-2, the volunteers often worked four days a week. Judy Carey, Kelly Brotherton, and Linda Loftus were among the first volunteers who helped the veterans, and Michelle Cobb managed the operation. Matt Cobb built many of the fixtures, including dressing rooms and clothes racks, and Texas Roadhouse of Fort Wayne was the primary sponsor. Josh Kaufmann helped in all aspects of the operation and provided maintenance service for the building manager. 

In 2020, after Matt and Michelle Cobb relocated to Tennessee, they remained leaders within the organization, while Josh Kaufmann took over leading operations. At this time, Mike Ackels and Cycleshop 469 became Clothes for Joes' main sponsor.

In 2022, the owners of 2410 Fairfield Ave. asked Clothes for Joes to relocate and sold the Fairfield Hall building. Fortunately, Kaufmann Property Management company stepped up and donated storage space to Clothes for Joes and officially began a partnership between Clothes for Joes and Kaufman Property Management. Ten Months later, Clothes for Joes was back open for Veterans at 2202 Calhoun St.

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Clothes for Joes operates solely on donations and volunteer service. Clothing is donated, and volunteers work to get the donations ready for our veterans. Veterans shop for free clothes with dignity and respect.  All "shoppers" are verified veterans, and the store is only open to the public for donation drop-off. Clothes for Joes keeps a record of all items shoppers receive. These records indicate when items are limited in quantity and/or frequency. Unfortunately, when donations are low, some items have to be rationed.

In 2023, Andrew Messmer joined Clothes for Joes and officially became CEO in January 2024. His leadership had led Clothes for Joes to become the primary sponsor of the North East Indiana Veteran Stand Down held in Allen County. 

In January of 2024, Scott Moake joined the Clothes for Joes' Board of Directors. Scott's leadership focuses on steering Clothes for Joe as a business to ensure longevity, relevance, and community impact.

2025 promises to be an exciting year for Clothes for Joes. We have added three new members to the Board of Directors who also serve as company officers. Adam Colone, Kathy Malott, and Nicole Smith are sure to make a big impact on Clothes for Joes moving forward. 

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