Kids & Family
P2P Volunteers Have Fun, Match Families with Clothing
Person-to-Person volunteers sort clothing every Monday night. They have fun and network while moving at a fast pace sorting a tremendous volume of donated clothing and accessories.
Written by Leslie Yager
Seven Person-to-Person (P2P) volunteers turned out on a chilly Monday night to sort clothes in a basement space at St. Luke's Church in Darien. Working at a brisk pace and having fun, it was easy to forget the venue was a basement.
"Every Monday between 6:00p.m. and 8:00p.m. we get between eight and 15 people on a drop-in basis. If you only have a half hour, that's fine too," said P2P's director of volunteers, Janet King, who always welcomes new volunteers.
"You don't need training. You just need to want to help," said King.
The clothes sorting sessions are a collaboration of P2P and VolunteerSquare.com. "Both of our agencies partnered to make it easier for folks, especially those who work during the day, to give back," said Rachel Reese who is the Exec Director of VolunteerSquare.com.
King explained that many clothing center clients hail from Norwalk and Stamford, but many come from Darien, New Canaan, Wilton and Weston.
The Clothing Center is essentially a free “store” where clients can shop every thirty days for shoes, clothing, outerwear, linens and small household goods. All items are donated and those made available are seasonally appropriate as well as clean and in good condition.
People who would like to visit the Clothing Center at 1864 Post Rd in Darien should call and connect with a P2P case worker. From there, appointments are scheduled, six appointments every half hour, which is ideal because it eliminates waiting time. The phone number is (203) 655-0048 between 9:00a.m. and 4:00p.m.
"Our mission is to treat everyone with respect," King said. "Every family member gets a shopping bag that they can fill. We've been doing this for more than 45 years."
Person-to-Person was founded in 1969 after the assassination of Martin Luther King. The Rev. Dr. Robert Nelson Back, rector St. Luke's Parish at the time, had attended seminary with Dr. King, and according to Janet King, "After the assassination, the women in the church wanted to do something good in the community, so they started P2P and we are carrying on their tradition."
"We network, volunteer and have fun," King said, adding that anyone interested in volunteering should contact her at JanetKing@P2Phelps.org and although this is not a volunteer opportunity for high schoolers due to space constraints, it is ideal for adults who work during the day but want to give back to the community.
Person-to-Person has an office in Norwalk at 76 S. Main Street. Tel. (203) 939-1650. P2P's Clothing Center is located at 1864 Post Rd. in Darien.
Person-to-Person is a 501(c)(3) organization with a four-star Charity Navigator Rating. More than 90% of all donations go directly to programs.
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