Oftentimes children will get an outfit for their birthday that they just never wear, or have clothes that are banished to the far end of the closet and never worn. Rather that toss them in the trash or drop them at a thrift store, the Sharing Shelf is making a plea to become the first stop for lightly used clothing donations.
The Sharing Shelf was able to get donated clothing to more than 8,000 low-income children in Westchester County last year. For young people, the clothes they wear can affect how they are perceived and how they think of themselves.
“When some of our teen boys received cool American Eagle Jeans from TSS, they literally had tears in their eyes as they never thought they could afford something like that,” said Aubrey Brutus, supervisor of community engagement at Tarrytown Public Schools — where half the population lives below the poverty line.
“All children have the right to feel good about their clothing and not be bullied because they do not have clean clothing or because they wear the same thing day after day,” said TSS Executive Director and founder Deborah Blatt. “When children feel better about their appearance, they learn better and are more likely to stay in school.”
Besides distributing donation, TSS operates Teen Boutique, a free store that has the look and feel of a retail outlet. With revenue from cash donations, TSS buys new underwear, socks, toiletries and other essential items that are not donated.
The organization welcomes volunteers to sort clothing and to organize a drive. For more information on how to give, go to www.SharingShelf.org.