The Sharing Shelf, the nonprofit clothing bank serving Westchester County, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its Teen Boutique, which will provide free clothes to Westchester teenagers in need. The boutique will operate as a free store specifically tailored for teens, situated onsite adjacent to The Sharing Shelf’s clothing bank in Port Chester. It will enable low-income teens, referred by schools and nonprofit organizations, to select their own clothing at no cost in a private and dignified setting that has the look and feel of a real boutique. Creation of the Teen Boutique was made possible by a transformational grant from Impact100 Westchester.
Clothing insecurity, or the lack of sufficiently sized and seasonally appropriate clothing for teens and children in need, is a major challenge in Westchester. In 2023, The Sharing Shelf received more than 5,500 applications for clothing for teens and children from schools and nonprofits.
Officials who participated in the ribbon-cutting included:
- Deborah Blatt, founder and executive director, The Sharing Shelf.
- Melinda LaBoy Ganeles, co-president, Impact100 Westchester.
- Nancy Winkelstein, co-president, Impact100 Westchester.
- Matt Fasciano, president and CEO, Delivering Good.
- Heath Bloch, president and CEO, Andrus.
- Alexandra Gatti, chair of the Board of Directors, The Sharing Shelf.
- Nancy Barr, legislator, Westchester County Board of Legislators.
- Susan Weisman, Westchester County Youth Bureau.
Representatives of State Senator Shelley Mayer, Nonprofit Westchester and Westchester Children’s Association.
