Up 23% from 2023
Suehay, pictured above, a dedicated social worker in the Larchmont Mamaroneck Schools, has been a trusted partner for over five years, always looking out for her students’ best interests. She consistently taps into our services to ensure their clothing needs are met.
To celebrate her recent birthday, Suehay invited her friends and family to volunteer with us.
She shared, “I wanted to again thank you for allowing my family and I to volunteer, although you were closed for vacation. I am so grateful for the partnership and the blessing you offer the families I work with. Volunteering at The Sharing Shelf was a great way to kick off my birthday, and give back to such a wonderful community organization. Thank you for allowing me to share your organization’s mission with my family.”
Thank you, Suehay, for your unwavering support and generosity. Actually, we celebrate you!
The Sharing Shelf, the nonprofit clothing bank serving children and teens in need in Westchester County, announced today that it had provided clothing to 6,764 children and teens in 2024. That number reflects the 5,805 children who were served through the clothing bank, and 959 teens who received clothing from the Teen Boutique.
The total number represents an increase of 23% from 2023, and the need for clothing continues to grow: In the first three weeks of 2025, requests for clothing have grown 145% over the same period in the previous year – from 178 requests in 2024 to 437 in 2025.
Requests to The Sharing Shelf for clothing for the children and teens came in 2024 from 588 staff members at 161 community partner agencies across Westchester. Those children and teens live in every community in Westchester.
Those numbers have grown as well. The number of staff members at partner agencies who requested clothing grew from 522 in 2023 to 588 in 2024. The number of partner agencies grew from 138 to 161.
While Westchester is among the nation’s wealthiest counties, its poverty rate for children under five was 11.1% in 2023, according to Westchester Children’s Association. More than 67,000 children and teens live in poverty or a low-income home in Westchester.
“Clothing insecurity is often overlooked, on the assumption that as long as one has some kind of clothes, there’s no problem,” said Deborah Blatt, Founder and Executive Director of The Sharing Shelf. “But for students to perform well in school – and stay in school – they need to have clothes that are the right size, that are appropriate to the season, that reflect their personality, and they need enough of them to be clean. Imagine how you would feel going into a meeting inappropriately dressed, and how you would perform in that situation. The need is great in Westchester, and growing. The Sharing Shelf plays a crucial role in addressing clothing insecurity countywide.”
Vist https://www.facebook.com/TheSharingShelf to learn more.
