Store moves to temporary new location.

General

New logo, new look, our purpose stays the same

LynnB General

You are going to see a lot of purple moving forward at Clothes To Kids. It’s because we’re rolling out our new logo. It’s a purple coat.

Why purple? Why a coat? The story goes like this…

On a rare, cold Florida morning, Marie McClung (Co-Founder of Clothes To Kids) got a call from her sister. She had a little girl in her classroom who wouldn’t be able to go outside for gym class without a jacket. Marie ran to the store and bought a purple coat in just the right size. When she dropped off the coat Marie was touched by the deep gratitude of this little girl, who looked up at her smiling big brown eyes and offered a huge hug!

In spring 2002 Marie was telling the story of the little girl and the purple coat to Jode Eye (CTK’s other Co-Founder). It sounded all too familiar to Jode, who had many students without adequate clothing, they even lacked socks and underwear. Together, Jode and Marie were determined that every child should have a coat to wear at recess, and school clothing so that they could go to school and focus on learning. Clothes To Kids was born.

Bringing the CTK vision to Fairfield County

Clothes To Kids has come a long way since that first purple coat. Over the years multiple CTK affiliates have opened around the country, inspired by the wonderful work being done by the founders. Each one dedicated to bringing happiness and improved self esteem, and of course quality school clothing, to low income and in crisis school-age children in their own local communities.

As you may already know, Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County is a proud affiliate! In fall 2015, Executive Director Elaine Rubinson began mobilizing volunteers and we welcomed our first shoppers to the CTK of Fairfield County store in October 2016.

We are excited to share this story about the purple coat and why its meaning is a symbol of our mission, along with our tagline, Clothe a Kid, Change a Life.

CTKF Store 1 Month Progress

Kristen Cognetta General, Volunteering
CTKF's Volunteer Coordinator Nadine Baccellieri assists a client as she shops for clothing for her children
CTKF’s Volunteer Coordinator Nadine Baccellieri assists a client as she shops for clothing for her daughter.

On October 13th, 2016, CTKF opened its doors and began serving families in Fairfield County. CTKF representatives and volunteers have been busy arranging appointments for families and assisting clients with finding the perfect fit, selecting comfortable and warm items, and choosing unique styles that each child will feel confident wearing.

Since our official opening 1 month ago, we have provided over 92 children with wardrobes! For us at CTKF, seeing the smiling faces of children and parents as they leave our store with much needed shopping bags filled with quality clothing is the most wonderful feeling. We are proud to have served Fairfield County families and we are determined to continue providing children with access to clean clothing, free of charge. Additionally, we are grateful for the tremendous efforts of our volunteers –  thank you!

Want to make a difference in the lives of children in Fairfield County communities? We want to hear from you! Learn about our volunteer opportunities here.

Interested in making a donation? Read more about ways to support us here.

We found a location for our new store!

LynnB General
Yerwood Center in downtown Stamford (Photo by Stamford Advocate)

Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County is excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford to open our new store in the recently revitalized Yerwood Center in downtown Stamford!

Our mission is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school age children in Fairfield County, Connecticut—free of charge. Families will shop by appointment, so once the new store is open we can begin scheduling! Each eligible child may shop twice a year to select a week’s worth of clothing.

Our goal is to be fully stocked and open our doors in spring 2016, so watch for our “Grand Opening” announcement!

The Boys & Girls Club of Stamford began operating programs at their Yerwood Unit in October 2015. They serve children ages 6-18, offering programs and services that promote and enhance their development. Their mission is to enable all children to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Interested in volunteering? Have clothing to donate? If so, please get in touch! We’re going to need your help to meet our goal of opening the store this spring.

The Yerwood Center is located at:
90 Fairfield Avenue, Stamford CT 06902

 

Our inspiration, the Clothes To Kids affiliates

LynnB General

Clothes To Kids captured Elaine Rubinson’s heart and interest 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 for kids to shop with dignity at a scheduled time, and not feel as if they were receiving charity!

With the help of the new Board and dedicated volunteers, Elaine was able to make her passion a reality and start a new CTK affiliate in Connecticut. Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County was incorporated in November 2015.

We are inspired beyond words by the pioneering work of Clothes To Kids in Florida (founded in 2002) and Clothes To Kids of Denver (incorporated in 2008). Watch this video to see how CTK Denver is changing the lives of deserving families in the Denver Metro Area. It is our goal to bring the same level of service to families in need in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Video provided courtesy of Clothes To Kids of Denver, Inc.

There’s a new nonprofit in Fairfield County CT!

LynnB General

Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County is an exciting new nonprofit to help ease the financial burden on low-income families, and build self-esteem in children. Our mission is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income school-age children, or children in crisis, free of charge. We envision a community in which all children have quality clothing so that they may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.

We have already received some donations of good quality clothing from family and friends. Our goal is to be fully stocked and ready to open our doors by spring of 2016, in a unique store-like setting where parents can shop with dignity and children can browse for their own style and size.

Volunteers and donors alike are needed to make this new project a success. Whether in the form of money, clothing or time, we ask that you join our cause and donate to Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County. Your contribution, whatever the amount and time, will be the catalyst that moves our venture forward.

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