NORWICH – After weeks of collecting monetary and clothing donations from the community, volunteers and employees from The Place and the Norwich City School District helped distribute bags of winter appropriate clothing for students as the collaborative clothing drive effort came to a close.

With fewer volunteers than in previous years, workers opened the doors at the clothing distribution center at the middle school Wednesday, ready to hand out clothing to families who had registered in past weeks. “We still had plenty of volunteers this year,” said Kelly Colosi, city school district social worker. “And all of them have been incredibly committed.”

Courtney Crisler, executive director of The Place, has been closely working with Colosi in coordinating the clothing drive, which kicked off after Thanksgiving. Since then, hundreds of people have donated new clothing toward the cause and hundreds more have purchased paper snowflakes for $30 at local businesses and various charities throughout the area. Money raised was used by the school and The Place to buy more winter clothing for local students.