Read the Stamford Advocate’s wonderful piece on the Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County, and the opening of our new store (published October 13, 2016).
Here’s an excerpt:
One of the first customers Thursday was Stamford resident Tania Milla, who was picking out clothes for her 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. My daughter really needs winter clothes, she said, as she browsed through the girl’s section. Milla praised the organization and said she’s already spreading the word to her friends. ‘This is very good for the people who need it’, she said.
The Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County (CTKF) store opened its doors to the public for a three-day open house event, September 28-30. Guest of honor Stamford Mayor David Martin led the ribbon cutting ceremony as Executive Director Elaine Rubinson proudly looked on. The CTKF team worked tirelessly over the prior four months to reach this highly anticipated moment, and were thrilled to welcome professionals from public schools, social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local companies to the open house.
The work that has gone into building, organizing, and maintaining the CTKF store is a collaborative effort from the organization’s enthusiastic founders, board members, and volunteers, all of whom are dedicated to its mission: to provide new or gently used clothing to children in critical need in grades K-12 in Fairfield County communities, all free of charge.
This summer the team was hard at work securing donations, spreading awareness throughout the community, establishing operational and fundraising plans, and renovating the store in order to create a larger, more functional space. Upon stepping foot inside the newly finished and fully stocked CTKF Store, located in Stamford’s Yerwood Center-Boys & Girls Club, shoppers are greeted with a warm, bright, and welcoming atmosphere. Tidy racks and cubbies are filled with clean, quality clothing. Fun, colorful signage and an easy-to-navigate layout for both youth and young adult clothing, are clear indicators that this space has been well-prepared for shoppers. The “back room” serves as a work space where incoming donations from retail stores, individual donors, and community drives can be washed, sorted, hung up on hangers, placed in bins, or folded.
Elaine Rubinson brings her social service background and expertise to CTKF. She possesses an awareness and understanding that there are circumstances in which it may be financially challenging for parents/guardians to provide new clothing for their children, and is committed to giving families access to well-fitting clothing, free of charge. Over 33% of school age children living in Fairfield County are eligible to shop in the store, which indicates that many families in these communities can benefit from CTKF’s services.
Families and children seeking clothing will find friendly, upbeat and knowledgeable volunteers ready to assist them with their overall shopping experience. CTKF volunteers include high school teens, college students, church and bible study groups, individual community members, local professionals, and those who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of youth.
We are always looking for new volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering your time to collect or sort items, host a drive, provide operational support, be a personal shopper, or donate gently used/new clothing, please contact Elaine Rubinson at (203) 533-9846 or info@clothestokidsfairfieldcounty.org.
Please consider joining us as we continue in our efforts to clothe a child, change a life!
An energetic group of coaches from Youth Elite Soccer (YES), a Shelton-based company specializing in developing, leading, and staffing youth soccer programs across the country, spent the morning volunteering at the Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County store. The YES coaches teach, empower, and inspire youth on a daily basis, and the Clothes To Kids mission is one they were delighted to support.
The team of coaches were eager to lend their help wherever needed. They were busy assembling clothing racks for the store, sorting through boxes of donations and hanging clothing, rearranging furniture, and moving heavy items to and from the warehouse. Volunteers play an essential role in our organization and the assistance provided by the coaches, in preparing the store for future shoppers, was greatly appreciated. Their volunteer day was coordinated by another dedicated CTK volunteer, Kristen Cognetta. Thank you Kristen!
We are busy getting ready to open the new Clothes To Kids Store for back-to-school shoppers. The store is located at the Yerwood Center-Boys & Girls Club in downtown Stamford.
First let us just say, thank you! Your recent grant support means you understand just how important it is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income and in-crisis school age children in Fairfield County. We envision a community in which every school-age child has quality clothing so that he or she may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success. With more than 47,600 children, or approximately 33.5% of school age children in Fairfield County eligible to receive free or reduced-price school lunches, we have our work cut out for us.
The Newman’s Own Foundation grant funds will be put to immediate use. We are busy stocking our new Clothes To Kids store, as we prepare to open for back-to-school shoppers. Every eligible child may shop twice a year for a week’s worth of clothing, all free of charge. Families will shop by appointment, and shoppers can browse a wide variety of clean, stylish, top quality clothing to select what they like best. Dressing rooms will be provided to ensure a comfortable fit.
We raised over $2,300 on Fairfield County’s Giving Day 2016, our first time participating in this amazing annual event! March 10, 2016 was a big day for Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County, and the board and volunteers want to thank everyone for helping to fuel our mission.
The gifts we received will be put to use immediately, getting our new store space ready to open, purchasing new socks and underwear for kids grades K-12, and purchasing software to track donors and clients.
Read about Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County in the Connecticut Bar Association’s recent Member Spotlight piece on Executive Director, Elaine Rubinson.
Great news story about the power of giving, and it’s positive effects on our health and happiness. Start 2016 off right with a donation of clothing, money or time to Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County. Doctor’s orders!
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.
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.
