Charity seeks help to clothe students

For 16 years, CoNSERNS-U has been providing needy children with back-to-school clothing and supplies. Due to a drop in donations this year, the Rensselaer County agency is stepping up its requests for help from Catholics.

"Last year, we were able to help 155 kids," said Colleen Pidgeon, assistant program director for the Catholic Charities agency. But "donations are down, and the need is higher than ever."

Children qualify for assistance through referrals from school staff, social service agencies and the client list from CoNSERNS-U.

How it works

For $100, each child is outfitted for school with clothing and supplies. A volunteer helps the student and a parent to shop for the items at Wal-Mart.

Ms. Pidgeon said that the store gave the agency a five-percent discount on purchases last year. This year, the company increased its donation to a flat $1,000.

But individual giving has lagged. Mrs. Pidgeon suspects the high price of gasoline contributed to the drop.

Acceptance

Volunteer coordinators Bob and Holly Flynn have been involved with CoNSERNS-U for many years.

"The kids are under a lot of peer pressure, and it is so important that a child be accepted by those peers," Mrs. Flynn said. "Part of that acceptance is in how they dress. It's a very socially conscious age, and this program helps them make the back-to-school adjustment. They can look forward to being back at school with their friends without feeling in any way negative about how they are dressed."

Mr. Flynn said that "our volunteers have been instrumental in making the back-to-school program a success. Thanks to them, we've been able to help more and more children."

(CoNSERNS-U is accepting donations through August. Call 463-8571.)

(7/27/06) [[In-content Ad]]