Keio Academy Students Team With The Sharing Shelf

Nearly 200 bags of new and lightly used clothing will be distributed to Westchester County's children in need, thanks to a generous donation to The Sharing Shelf by the students of .

In what is becoming an annual tradition, the Purchase Japanese boarding school delivered the new and gently used clothing to The Sharing Shelf's New Rochelle warehouse Monday. The clothing for teenagers included many favorite brands, such as Nike, Abercrombie and H&M that the students cleaned out of their dorm rooms as they packed up to return home to Japan for the  summer. 

"Last year, the Keio Academy students' donation enabled The Sharing Shelf  to provide many needy children in our county with high-quality hand-me-downs," said Deborah Blatt, founder and coordinator of The Sharing Shelf.

"We are grateful that Keio returned again this year," she said, "and we look forward to giving their hand-me-downs a second life on the backs and legs of needy teens in Westchester."

The Sharing Shelf is a program of Family Services of Westchester, a non-profit organization serving the county since 1954. Staffed by more than 450 professionals and paraprofessionals, FSW oversees more than 50 programs providing a wide range of services, including elder care, foster care, Head Start, early Head Start and many other family support services.

The Sharing Shelf was created to collect clothing for children of all ages and then distribute that clothing to the children or their families at no cost.

While Westchester County is home to some of the nation’s wealthiest families, it also harbors deep pockets of poverty, Blatt noted.

"According to 2008 statistics, nearly 12 percent of all children in our county live below the poverty line," she said. "Given the current economic downturn, that number has certainly grown."

The Sharing Shelf was founded and is completely run by volunteers. They screen and sort all clothing donations by size, season and gender, discarding anything that is stained, damaged or out of date.

"We rely on volunteers in the community to coordinate collection and sorting efforts in their schools, places of worship and among their friends," Blatt said. "We are the first agency of our kind in this area and rely on grant money and donations from individuals in the community and families to rent our facility and to purchase supplies."  

Since its inception in October 2009, The Sharing Shelf has served more than 1,700 children. Between July and April, The Sharing Shelf provided nearly 650 children, an average of 60 to 70 children per month, with a week’s worth of clothing and other supplies, such as shoes, strollers, car seats and bassinets.

"In May alone, we distributed spring and summer clothing to more than 100 children," Blatt said. "We are currently providing clothing to children all over Westchester County, including children served by FSW, Westchester Jewish Community Services, My Sister’s Place, Sound Shore Medical Center, the Department of Social Services, Children’s Village, Harrison Community Services and other agencies."

In January, The Sharing Shelf moved its operations from borrowed space in Rye to rented space on North Avenue in New Rochelle. It is now collecting summer clothing—T-shirts, shorts and sundresses—particularly in sizes 5T through YXL. Back-to-school donations will be accepted beginning in mid-August.

To donate new or clean seasonally appropriate clothing to The Sharing Shelf, or help offset costs, call 914-937-2320, ext. 148, or e-mail dblatt@fsw.org.