Empowering Confidence Through Clothing for Those in Need

The Sharing Shelf Responds to Rising Clothing Insecurity in Westchester County

The Sharing Shelf, a nonprofit clothing bank based in Port Chester, has reported a significant increase in demand for clothing assistance for vulnerable children and teens in Westchester County. According to recent data, requests for clothing surged by an astonishing 43.5% in the first half of 2025, compared to the previous year. During this period, the organization successfully provided clothing for 4,324 children and teens, a marked increase from 3,014 beneficiaries in the first half of 2024. In addition to clothing, The Sharing Shelf has distributed 157,000 diapers, further underscoring its critical role in the community.

The month of June 2025 was particularly telling; the organization recorded its second-highest monthly request total, with 738 requests—an extraordinary 78% increase from the 414 requests in June 2024. Traditionally, The Sharing Shelf experiences a dip in requests during the summer months. However, the recent data indicates a shift in this trend, highlighting an urgent need for community support.

In light of this rising demand, the organization has also noted an increased need for volunteers to help process and fulfill these requests. In the first half of 2025, The Sharing Shelf required 1,625 individual volunteer slots, a 60% increase from 1,042 slots in the same period of the prior year. This surge in volunteer requirements showcases the organization’s reliance on community engagement to deliver essential services.

Deborah Blatt, the founder and executive director of The Sharing Shelf, emphasized the importance of this data in illustrating the urgent issue of clothing insecurity in Westchester. She remarked, “This data provides critical warning signs—in real time—of growing clothing insecurity in Westchester. These numbers send alarm bells about the state of childhood poverty. Despite being a community of great wealth, we are witnessing alarming stresses on families facing economic hardships.”

Established in 2009, The Sharing Shelf aims to empower children and teens in need through access to quality clothing. Operating out of a warehouse in Port Chester, the organization collects new and gently used clothing, which is meticulously screened by volunteers before being distributed for free through various social service agencies, schools, and other nonprofits. In 2024, The Sharing Shelf introduced a Teen Boutique adjacent to its warehouse, providing teens referred by schools and charities the opportunity to select clothing in a private, dignified environment that resembles a traditional retail boutique.

The mission of The Sharing Shelf extends beyond mere clothing distribution; it seeks to provide age-appropriate, seasonally relevant garments that enable young individuals to feel confident and valued. This initiative is vital for the community, especially given the backdrop of rising childhood poverty rates that often go unaddressed due to outdated census data. The organization’s real-time statistics serve as a crucial resource for informing policymakers at both local and state levels, putting a spotlight on the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address poverty and clothing insecurity in affluent areas like Westchester County.

As the demand for services escalates, The Sharing Shelf continues to appeal to community members for support, whether through volunteering or donations, to sustain its efforts in addressing clothing insecurity and enhancing the well-being of local youth.