Nonprofit helping kids boost their confidence through clothes in Westchester County
PORT CHESTER, Westchester County (WABC) -- A nonprofit in Westchester County is doing all it can to help kids when it comes to bullying, insecurity and improving their mental well-being - and it all starts in the closet.
The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester first opened its doors in 2009. The mission was to fill the ever-growing needs of families and children plagued not just by food insecurity, but clothing insecurity.
That includes kids who need clean, season-appropriate and properly fitting clothes for school and beyond.
"We need to talk more about clothing insecurity because a child cannot get to school to have that breakfast or lunch if they don't go to school," said founder Deborah Blatt. "And they are not going to school if they don't have clean clothes."
Each day, a dedicated team of 15-20 volunteers sort through piles of clothes, organize the donations, stock the shelves and fill the orders.
The clothing orders come from social workers, nonprofits and school administrators. Once the order is filled, the team then contacts the case worker who picks up and distributes the clothes to those in need.
Case worker Brittany Gonzalez stopped by Monday to grab some baby clothes for a pair of clients, two teenaged mothers-to-be.
"One of the families that I'm picking up for - they are in a shelter and the teen is pregnant," Gonzalez said. "So the situation is a little more difficult for them."
In the first few weeks of 2025, clothing requests grew an astounding 145% compared to the same time period last year.
What's the explanation for such a substantial increase?
"I wish I knew, I am not an economist, I can't answer that," Blatt said. "I just know that the supports that we need in place for families need to be there."
For anyone who wants to volunteer or has a closet full of clothes ready to donate, head to SharingShelf.org.
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