78°
GREENWICH, Conn. As your holiday shopping season begins, dont forget to sort through your closets for old clothes and toys to donate to local charities. A volunteer group of Greenwich moms is collecting contributions in preparation for winter to distribute to less fortunate local families.
The best part is its mothers, like myself and my friends and people I know who are making this happen, Karen Giannuzzi, founder of Mothers for Others, said during the groups first drive.
Throughout the remainder of the year, Mothers for Others will take gently used baby gear, toys and childrens clothing and, in conjunction with other area preschools, hold additional coat, equipment and winter clothing drives. An additional push for monetary donations will allow the organization to purchase new items such as diapers and car seats.
Last spring, Giannuzzi, a Greenwich mom who found she had too much stuff, started the group. I have four kids, and over the years, I accumulated a lot of stuff that I didnt know what to do with. I think its an issue that a lot of moms face, said Giannuzzi. American families in general collect a lot of stuff. When you have a baby, you just have all this baby equipment. And if you happen to be in an affluent town where people can afford it, they accumulate a lot of junk. And then when your children get older, you really want to get rid of it.
Giannuzzi created Mothers For Others based on Baby Buggy, a similar Manhattan-based charitable organization founded by Jessica Seinfeld. The idea was to meet the needs of people who have used childrens items and donate items to people who cant afford them.
Through her work with the Second Congregational Church, she reached out to Greenwich Social Services, Neighbor-to-Neighbor and Greenwich Family Centers and found families in need of clothes, toys and other stuff for their kids. I couldnt believe there wasnt an organization that pulled these groups together and makes it easier for people to donate and get rid of things, and also makes it easier for families who need it to take it, said Giannuzzi.
In a drive during the first weekend in November, Mothers for Others and Second Congregational Church partnered with Family Centers Inc. and Greenwich Social Services, to distribute items to more than 35 local families. During its first drive, the collective assisted more than 50 families. The families who received donations were identified by Greenwich Social Services and Family Centers Inc. and live in the Greenwich, Port Chester and Stamford areas.
Donations were received from individuals as well as local schools and preschools. Christ Church Nursery School, the Preschool at Second Congregational Church, KTI Early Childhood Program in Rye Brook, St. Saviour's Nursery School in Old Greenwich, the summer camp at Burning Tree Country Club and Putnam Indian Field Nursery School all held donation drives over the past six months.
Donations may be dropped off at the second floor of Second Congregational Church, located at 139 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich. Mothers for Others also offers a delivery service to pick up and deliver donations.
For more information, or to arrange to have donations picked up, contact Karen Giannuzzi at 203-570-5656 or through email.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Greenwich and receive free news updates.
