June, 2020:
Dr. Ala Stanford, creator of the Black Doctors COVID19 Consortium, has 
been selected as the winner of the Closets by Design Essential Worker $5k Closet Makeover Giveaway. Today we surprised her at a COVID-19 testing site she organized in the parking lot of the Global Leadership Academy at 52nd and Pine.
The custom home organization company held a nationwide contest asking people to nominate an essential worker to win the giveaway. Closets by Design thought the best way to show appreciation to essential workers was to use their expertise to provide something that we think helps people – which is why they decided to give away a $5000 custom closet makeover.
“Essential workers are there for us every day. They’ve been away from their 
homes, their families, many times sacrificing their safety, in favor of ours,” says Charles Waterman, owner of Closets by Design of Philadelphia. “We hope this surprise can help Dr. Ala Stanford realize how much she is appreciated and what she does for others really matters.”
For the surprise, Waterman gathered with his team and popped from behind a van with balloons, and signs to announce the wonderful news to Dr. Stanford.
Also in attendance was Karla Trotman, the woman who nominated Dr. Stanford for the prize. Karla and Dr. Stanford never met in person until today. They both attended Penn State (different years) and are part of the same sorority. When Dr. Stanford decided to set up the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, news traveled through the sorority contact lines that they needed PPE. Karla’s company donated most of those supplies.
Karla’s glowing nomination which outlines Dr. Stanford’s selfless efforts surrounding the COVID-19 crisis stood out from all the rest. Here is what she wrote: “Recognizing the fact that African Americans in low-income areas are the hardest hit during this pandemic, Dr. Stanford decided to do something about it. She created the Black Doctors COVID19 Consortium, rented a van, got supplies, recruited doctors and nurses, and hit the streets of Philadelphia to test those who did not have access to testing. She worked with black churches to use their parking lots in order to test folks. Because she could only access 300 or so tests, she could only test that many people at a time, but so far has tested over 5000 people in the City of Philadelphia.”
We are so excited to have Dr. Ala Stanford as our local Closets by Design Essential Worker Closet Giveaway winner. She is truly a hero among us.
