NCSD, The Place collect winter clothing in annual holiday drive
rwich City School District, in collaboration with The Place, is once again taking on the task of providing all Norwich students with winter-appropriate clothing in time for the holiday season.
Faculty and staff at NCSD have done something to help out the district’s most needy families during the holidays for more than 30 years. Their efforts continue this year as the school takes in new clothing donations at Gibson, Perry Browne, the middle school and the high school in hopes of providing some of the areas most needy children with warmth for the season. Already, more than 180 families have requested clothing for their kids and that number will only grow as the request deadline draws near, said NCSD Social Worker Kelly Colosi.
“A lot of our families struggle during the holidays,” said Colosi. “We don’t want to see that struggle. We want all of our students to experience the same joy; but this really is a community supported effort.”
To help in the effort, a Christmas tree decorated in paper snowflakes – each snowflake containing the age, grade and clothing sizes of a student in need – has been set up at the Norwich Wal-Mart. Snowflakes are also available at the main office of each school throughout the district. In addition, The Place is soliciting monetary donations from local businesses and community members that will in turn be used to purchase new clothing. It’s a four-year-old partnership that has benefitted hundreds of families and students of every grade level, noted Colosi.
“So far the response has been incredible,” she said, citing tremendous community support over the years. “We have had some great volunteers. We’re really hoping that the program will be as much a success this year as it has every year.”
The Place and NCSD have thus far brought in more than $4,500 in charitable contributions from individuals, non-profits and local corporations including Norwich Pharmaceuticals, the Kerry Group, YES LEADers, and the RC Smith Foundation. It’s a great start, said Colosi, but still far from the amount needed to provide all requests. “We’ve had some great donations that have come in,” Colosi said, “but we’re not to a point where we can entirely fund the program just yet.”
In 2011, the school spent nearly $7,000 on 379 pairs of pants and 253 shirts as well as a few winter coats. Another 171 pairs of new pants and 297 new shirts were donated, which helped serve a total 205 families and 550 students. Needs are expected to fall within a similar range again this year, Colosi explained, as Norwich is a Title 1 school with more than 50 percent of the student body receiving lunch assistance.
“Ultimately, our goal is to be able to meet the needs of every family, and to give clothing to each person that requested,” said Courtney Crisler, executive director of The Place. “We have really appreciated all that the community has done and we hope they continue to donate just as they have in the past.”
The Place and NCSD are also looking for volunteers to help sort and bag clothing, and lend a helping hand during the clothing distribution from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the school district offices. “It’s a big need. Anyone who wants to volunteer is more than welcome,” Colosi said.
For additional information about the clothing assistance program or to volunteer, contact Colosi at 334-1600 ext. 1237.
Faculty and staff at NCSD have done something to help out the district’s most needy families during the holidays for more than 30 years. Their efforts continue this year as the school takes in new clothing donations at Gibson, Perry Browne, the middle school and the high school in hopes of providing some of the areas most needy children with warmth for the season. Already, more than 180 families have requested clothing for their kids and that number will only grow as the request deadline draws near, said NCSD Social Worker Kelly Colosi.
“A lot of our families struggle during the holidays,” said Colosi. “We don’t want to see that struggle. We want all of our students to experience the same joy; but this really is a community supported effort.”
To help in the effort, a Christmas tree decorated in paper snowflakes – each snowflake containing the age, grade and clothing sizes of a student in need – has been set up at the Norwich Wal-Mart. Snowflakes are also available at the main office of each school throughout the district. In addition, The Place is soliciting monetary donations from local businesses and community members that will in turn be used to purchase new clothing. It’s a four-year-old partnership that has benefitted hundreds of families and students of every grade level, noted Colosi.
“So far the response has been incredible,” she said, citing tremendous community support over the years. “We have had some great volunteers. We’re really hoping that the program will be as much a success this year as it has every year.”
The Place and NCSD have thus far brought in more than $4,500 in charitable contributions from individuals, non-profits and local corporations including Norwich Pharmaceuticals, the Kerry Group, YES LEADers, and the RC Smith Foundation. It’s a great start, said Colosi, but still far from the amount needed to provide all requests. “We’ve had some great donations that have come in,” Colosi said, “but we’re not to a point where we can entirely fund the program just yet.”
In 2011, the school spent nearly $7,000 on 379 pairs of pants and 253 shirts as well as a few winter coats. Another 171 pairs of new pants and 297 new shirts were donated, which helped serve a total 205 families and 550 students. Needs are expected to fall within a similar range again this year, Colosi explained, as Norwich is a Title 1 school with more than 50 percent of the student body receiving lunch assistance.
“Ultimately, our goal is to be able to meet the needs of every family, and to give clothing to each person that requested,” said Courtney Crisler, executive director of The Place. “We have really appreciated all that the community has done and we hope they continue to donate just as they have in the past.”
The Place and NCSD are also looking for volunteers to help sort and bag clothing, and lend a helping hand during the clothing distribution from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the school district offices. “It’s a big need. Anyone who wants to volunteer is more than welcome,” Colosi said.
For additional information about the clothing assistance program or to volunteer, contact Colosi at 334-1600 ext. 1237.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks