Southeast Ventura County YMCA & Sports Academy Clothing Drive for

The Southeast Ventura County YMCA and Sports Academy are launching a one-month clothing drive to provide new and gently used clothing and new toys for children in foster care. Items will be collected during the month of November.

The Y’s four branches (Conejo Valley YMCA, Miller Family YMCA of Newbury Park, Simi Valley Family YMCA and Triunfo YMCA) and Sports Academy (1011 Rancho Conejo Blvd.) are drop-off sites for the items.

Volunteers from the YMCA and Ventura County Foster Parent Association (VCFPA) will collect the clothing and toys from bins placed at each site. They will be brought to "Rachel's Closet" in Ventura where foster parents and kids can select whatever items they need

According to VCFPA, every year 9,000 cases are opened for neglect or abuse of children in Ventura County. Of those, 6,000 children end up being removed from their homes and placed in a foster care.

“Most children who are removed from unsafe family conditions leave with only the clothes they are wearing,” says Janice Wise, Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s development director. “It usually falls on foster parents to purchase clothes and toys for these children. The cost can be well over $500 per child. This expense can prevent qualified, loving parents from participating in the program."

VCFPA identified these items as being in the greatest demand: diapers, onesies, t-shirts, pants, bedding (twin and crib), socks, shorts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, shoes and underwear.

“November is a time of giving thanks and giving back," says Ronnie Stone, president and CEO of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA. “The YMCA has an incredible volunteer, member and community base that we know will open their hearts to help these vulnerable children."

VCFPA will provide receipts for donated items. A list of Southeast Ventura County YMCA branch locations is at http://www.sevymca.org.