St. Vincent De Paul in Derby seeking food, furniture, clothing, more

Donations needed to help Valley neighbors

DERBY- Cindy Barbian, manager, St. Vincent De Paul Helping Hands of the Valley Thrift Shoppe, said this week the shop is currently closed but will be re-opening Aug. 22, earlier in the season than usual.

The shop hours are 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 

A wide selection of toys and dolls is available./ Contributed photo

Some of the furniture on display at SVDP thrift shoppe./Contributed photo

Barbian said, "We are accepting all donations, furniture pick-up by request - if we have the volunteer men to do a pickup. We we are not allowed inside a home, (items) would need to be in garage, on porch or outside."

The food pantry's shelves are almost empty. Barbian said much-needed items include:

• canned fruit
• canned vegetables (carrots, green beans and corn)
• canned potatoes
• canned soups 
• macaroni and cheese
• mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard
• jars of pasta sauce

Consider donating what you can to this nonprofit organization that does so much to assist needy residents of our Valley!

The store is at 237 Roosevelt Drive, Derby. /Contributed photo.

My Sister's Place in Ansonia partners with Helping Hands thrift store in Orange

Marie Gabriel, Matt Irizarry, and Nancy Cahoon of BHcare accept a check for $489.96 from Helping Hands Community Thrift Store owner Allen Klein, third from left, for items sold in the Thrift Store for the month of January./Contributed photo

ANSONIA - My Sister’s Place is a thrift store and donation center at 380 Main St. that has been raising money to support BHcare’s The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services. 
The store relies on people dropping off donations and are not able to pick up donations, nor are they allowed to sell upholstered furniture. 

Helping Hands has partnered with My Sister’s Place in an effort to generate more funds for The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services. 
Helping Hands will pick up your donations of furniture and appliances as well as large quantities of boxed and bagged items which will benefit My Sister’s Place.  

Helping Hands will accept your gently used upholstered furniture as long as it is not stained, torn or overly worn as well as your gently used mattresses and box springs.  Helpings Hands also does house cleanouts with the value of your donated items reducing the cost of the cleanout.  You simply need to call the Helping Hands warehouse at 203-782-4800 to arrange your pick up or to get a quote for a cleanout.

The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services is dedicated to increasing awareness of domestic violence and its effect on the community, empowering those victimized by providing advocacy and safe and effective services, and working for social change to eliminate domestic violence. 

UCDVS offers walk-in crisis services and a 24-hour hotline, emergency safe housing, Family Violence Victim Advocates and court based advocates, transitional housing, legal advocacy, community education, and much more.

Furniture Bank provides assistance

Helping Hands is raising money for over 150 nonprofits through its Thrift Store at 334 Boston Post Road, Orange, and is operating a Furniture Bank that provides furniture essentials to the clients of its social service partners.  

The Furniture Bank has helped people leaving domestic violence situations, homeless people moving into permanent housing, and many others. 
You can drop off your donations of clothing, housewares, knickknacks, and more at the Helping Hands Thrift Store and designate your donation to My Sister’s Place.

Together, My Sister’s Place and Helping Hands are making a difference for many people confronting domestic violence. Please consider donating your “stuff” to benefit UCDVS.  

You can check out Helping Hands at www.helpinghandsctfb.com or on Facebook. You can access info on UCDVS at http://www.bhcare.org/page/22595.

If you are in crisis, call 203-736-9944 or 203-789-8104. The toll-free number is 1-888-774-2900.

This is a press release from Helping Hands.

Seymour nonprofit to collect food, winter clothing for needy

2013 Thanksgiving food drive / Photo by Karen Fisher, board secretary, CT Partnership for Children

Connecticut Partnership for Children, Inc. is a Seymour nonprofit that serves children in need throughout the entire state by meeting basic needs. 

The organization is hosting the fifth annual Thanksgiving Food Program and the sixth Annual "Helping Hands, Warming Hearts" winter sponsorship program. 

These programs are sponsored by Stop & Shop, Derby Wal-mart, Great Expectations Day Care and Learning Center in Southbury, St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oxford, Walnut Hill Community Church, Seymour Campus, and many individuals and businesses throughout the state. 

In 2013, the Thanksgiving Food Program served 101 families, an increase of 63 families from the previous year. 

Connecticut Partnership's goal is to serve 150 families this year. 
The agency provides a turkey, and asks for the non-perishable fixings from individual and business sponsors and donors. 

Donors have two options, to either sponsor a family or run a food drive. Meal distribution will be held Nov. 22; the deadline for items to be delivered to the agency is Nov. 17.

The "Helping Hands, Warming Hearts" winter sponsorship program provides brand new jackets, boots, hats, scarves, gloves, and books to children in need. Each year, this program has served approximately 200 children. 

The agency's goal for this year is to increase the number served to 250 children. Donors have two options: sponsor a child or provide an item in bulk. 

The agency provides size information, etc. to sponsors. These items will be delivered to the children on Dec. 22 and 23, and must be delivered to Connecticut Partnership no later than Dec. 15. 

For more information or to commit to sponsoring a family for Thanksgiving or a child for the winter program, call (203) 881-1804 or e-mail meghan@ctpfc.org.

This is a press release from Meghan Tarby, MSW, founder and executive director, Connecticut Partnership for Children, Inc.