RYE YMCA Members Come Together to Benefit Sharing Shelf in Port Chester

Rye YMCA members rallied to support families throughout Westchester County during a recent children’s clothing drive for The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester.

Between Nov. 3 and Nov. 12, Rye Y members filled a large box in the Y’s lobby with fall and winter clothing. By the end of the drive, the Y had collected enough clothing to fill three large SUVs with the donations.

Rye Y members arrived at The Sharing Shelf on Nov. 22 to help sort and organize all the donations during a day of service.

Organized by the Y’s Togetherhood Committee, the project gave members the opportunity to donate new or gently-used seasonal clothing for babies, children and teens and to volunteer during a day of service at The Sharing Shelf’s warehouse.

“The purpose of Togetherhood is to bring our Rye YMCA members together to give back to our surrounding community,”Committee Co-chair Patty Mosher said in a press release. “Once we visited The Sharing Shelf and saw the amazing job they’re doing, we knew that getting our membership involved would have a strong impact.”

The Sharing Shelf is a program of Family Services of Westchester. The volunteer-run organization collects new and gently-used children’s clothing for ages 0-19 and distributes it at no cost to children in need through social service agencies, teachers and others.

“Volunteers are critical to The Sharing Shelf’s work. I’ve run this effort as a volunteer and we rely on volunteers for every aspect of our work,” Sharing Shelf founder and Executive Director Deborah Blatt said in the press release. “The Rye Togetherhood group was a perfect example of community members coming together to make a difference in the lives of Westchester’s children who are in need.”

Photo Credit: Hannah Blake

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