Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County joined the movement again this year, encouraging friends and supporters to donate on #GivingTuesday, November 28, 2017. Fueled by the power of social media and collaboration, the sixth annual #GivingTuesday broke records by raising $274 million online. People in over 150 countries participated, including over 100 coalitions across the United States!
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
Thank you to all Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County supporters who donated on November 28! Your generosity will help CTKF continue our efforts to “clothe a child and change a life”. We envision a community in which every school age child in Fairfield County has quality clothing so that he or she may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.
‘Tis the season for holiday giving
Did you know nearly one third of all annual giving occurs in December alone, while 12 percent happens in just the last three days of the year? Whether you are looking to volunteer, host a winter clothing drive to stock the shelves at the CTKF Store, or make a financial donation to provide school clothing for children in need, Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County is here to help with your year-end giving needs.
Take action by December 30, 2017 to receive a charitable tax deduction!
On November 9th Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County raised $28,000 at the 2nd Annual Cook for Kids Fundraiser, exceeding last year’s fundraising efforts by $8,000. Thanks to the amazing support of our financial and in-kind sponsors, event hosts, and everyone who volunteered and attended, Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County (CTKF) will continue its efforts to “clothe a child and change a life”.
Friends and supporters gathered for an entertaining evening as local chefs prepared a tasting feast at Aitoro Appliances in Norwalk CT. While enjoying the delicious food, guests bid on a selection of silent auction items and tried their luck at winning a variety of door prizes. All proceeds will benefit CTKF’s mission to provide in-crisis and low-income school-age children in Fairfield County with two free wardrobes of school clothing a year, so they can attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.
CTKF executive director, Elaine Rubinson, spoke about how Clothes To Kids captured her heart when she attended their March 2015 fundraiser in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was motivated by their mission statement and intrigued by the creativity used to implement their mission. How wonderful that children shop with dignity at a scheduled time, and not feel as if they were receiving charity! With the help of dedicated volunteers, Elaine started a new CTK affiliate and Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County was incorporated in November 2015.
Sarah Arnold, a social worker and school-family resource facilitator at Roxbury Elementary School, spoke about the impact that Clothes To Kids has had on the families she has referred to the program. CTKF is a lifesaver because it provides children with beautiful clothes that give them dignity and a sense of well-being. That’s often the first step to helping families with many other challenges. Plus, it’s a cheerful and fun place to shop. Everyone who goes loves it!. She also spoke about how poverty can affect families in many ways and that Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County provides these families with a much needed resource. The effect that clothing has on these children is wonderful to see.
Of course, Cook for Kids would not have been possible without the generous financial support of Wells Fargo Advisors, and the effort and time of all the event hosts and in-kind sponsors for the event! And we are so grateful to Aitoro Appliances for opening the doors to their wonderful showroom to raise much-needed funds in support of local children in crisis. Aitoro is a family-owned appliance and electronics store based in Norwalk, CT that has been serving local customers since 1948.
Silent auction highlights included a weekend donated by Steve Berni at his vacation home at Stratton Mountain in Vermont, a custom men’s blazer donated by Stephen Kempson London, a cocktail party for 20 people donated by Susan Kane Catering, and several other items.
Chefs and restaurants participating this year included Newbrook Kitchen, Bar Sugo, Susan Kane Catering, Sol’s Ristorante, Blind Rhino, HAPA Food Truck, A Dash of Salt Catering, The Mumbai Times, RomaNacci Pizza Bar, Osteria Romana, and Fire & Rice. Other event hosts included Kazu Sushi, DiMare Pastry Shop, Donut Crazy, Giovana’s Wine & Spirits, Two Roads Brewing Co., Lagunitas Brewing Company, Samuel Adams, and Stella Artois.
The mission of Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school age children in Fairfield County, Connecticut, free of charge. Without proper clothing, a child can suffer emotionally, physically, and academically. We are committed to ensuring that kids (grades K-12) have quality clothing so they can attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success. What makes the Clothes To Kids experience unique is that they get to choose their own clothing at the CTKF Store! Every eligible child shops for two free wardrobes a year, one for warm weather, and one for cool. Each wardrobe is a full week’s worth of clothing, including new underwear and socks.
Join us as we celebrate the first anniversary of the Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County Store! We officially opened the CTKF Store and began taking referrals and making appointments in October 2016. Learn more about our organization and all that we have achieved in our first year.
Accomplishments
In our first year operating the CTKF Store we have served 540 children (from 324 families), and they have taken home 580 wardrobes of quality new and gently-used school clothing. From January through August 2017, 2,379 volunteer hours working in the store as personal shoppers and sorting through donated clothing.
When
Friday, October 13, 2017
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Where
Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County Store Boys & Girls Club of Stamford Yerwood Clubhouse 90 Fairfield Avenue Stamford CT 06902
Photos by Maribel Sandalo of the Boys & Girls Club
This spring, the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford held a fabulous night of fashion! The fashion show is a special annual Boys & Girls Club event that the members look forward to each year. Children ages 5-10 years were among the future runway models participating, and wore clothing proudly provided by Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County. With so many great options donated by our supporters, the children were able to show off their unique, individual styles while wearing clothing they felt comfortable and confident in. Not only were they able to walk the runway wearing awesome clothing, but they were able to take their selections home to keep as new wardrobe items!
The Art of Control added a little heart to its mind/body programming, when it hosted a yoga and Pilates fundraising event to support Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County. Participants focused on strengthening, stretching, and stamina while working through a variety of yoga, Pilates apparatus and mat exercises. The wellness day event was held at Synergy Health and Fitness in Stamford, with all proceeds going to Clothes To Kids, which provides new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school age children in Fairfield County, Connecticut, free of charge.
It was an inspiring evening, full of great core work and overall conditioning and good vibes, led by top Pilates instructors”, says Leslie Caney Berni, owner of Breathe Fitness LLC.
Instructors included Art of Control owner Simona Cipriani, a second-generation Authentic Pilates instructor for 20 years, and expert yoga and Pilates instructor Francine Morina CTKF is grateful to our wonderful partners at the Art of Control!
Thank you for all of your support of Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County yesterday (03.09.17) during Fairfield County’s Giving Day. This was our second year participating in Giving Day and thanks to your generosity we were able to raise $5,724. That’s more than twice what we raised last year!
The gifts we received will help keep our racks full for all of the amazing kids that visit our store. At $50 per wardrobe, your donations will provide one week’s worth of school clothes for 114 children in-need!
We are thrilled to announce the Health & Wellness Fundraiser hosted by Art of Control pilates studio in Stamford. All proceeds to benefit Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County.
Come together with other donors in the region during this 24-hour event and make an incredibly powerful, collective impact by supporting your favorite local nonprofits.
Last year, our first year of participation in Fairfield County Giving Day, we raised over $2,300. This year Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County hopes to recruit as many individual donors as possible to help us win the $20,000 grand prize for the organization that receives the highest number of $10+ donations from individual donors.
On the evening of Thursday, December 1st, Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County (CTKF) held its first fundraising event, “Cook for Kids”. The much-anticipated event was sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors and took place at Aitoro Appliance & Electronics of Norwalk, CT. With over 170 tickets sold, by 6pm, the store was filled with community members in attendance to support CTKF. Aitoro served as the perfect space for the local chefs cooking their delicious creations. Attendees were eager to get a taste of each talented chef’s freshly prepared food.
CTKF’s Executive Director Elaine Rubinson spoke about the organization’s mission, activities and progress since the grand opening on October 13th, 2016, and recognized the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford – Yerwood Clubhouse Executive Director Mike Cotela for his continued and valued support. Carolina Ahumada, a Social Service Professional at Family Centers of Greenwich, CT, shared inspiring feedback from her clients that have shopped in the store. Carolina described the joy and excitement of her clients receiving quality, clean clothing through shopping at CTKF.
Star 99.9’s radio host Anna Zapp worked her magic, keeping the crowd energized and excited as she promoted the silent auction items, the “Drop Your Cash” collection for new underwear and socks, and the raffle. Guests waited patiently for the results of the highly sought-after auction items, as they sparked lots of buzz throughout the evening. Donors included:
CTKF’s first annual “Cook for Kids” proved to be a success, raising over $19,000. CTKF is extremely grateful for the wonderful support received for this event from the Fairfield County community, restaurants and chefs, local companies and businesses, and organizations. The organization would like to extend its thanks to Tony Aitoro for making this event possible. CTKF would also like to recognize its Event Committee members, Alexandra Briggs Kling, Livia Feig, Craig Wood, Carrie Franzese, Steve Berni, and Valerie Fischel, as well as the volunteers for their incredible efforts and dedication in organizing this event! Funds raised from “Cook for Kids” will go directly to the CTKF store’s operational and client clothing needs.
Join us as we make a difference in Fairfield County communities. For more about ways to get involved with CTKF, click here.
This year, Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County will celebrate the official start of the charitable giving season on #GivingTuesday!
On Tuesday, November 29 individuals, communities and organizations around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.
Get involved on #GivingTuesday and help Clothes To Kids make a difference for low-income and in-crisis students in Fairfield County. $50 provides one child with a full week’s worth of school clothes.
Join CTKF on #GivingTuesday, November 29, 2016.
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community and your company to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join the movement!
