Starting this month, the Cummington-based nonprofit It Takes a Village is branching out and bringing its inventory of free maternity, infant, and children’s clothing and gear to Greenfield, Springfield, North Adams and Huntington for one-day “Pop-Up” events.
The Greenfield Pop-Up event will be held on Friday, Sept. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Leyden Woods.
Until recently, It Takes a Village’s donation and distribution center, called the Village Closet, operated out of the former Berkshire Trail Elementary School building in Cummington. According to a press release from the organization, about 1,500 families visited the donation center each year, and in 2018 it distributed more than $100,000 worth of new and gently-used baby clothing, gear and diapers.
This summer, however, Cummington alerted all tenants that they’ll need to vacate the school building to make room for municipal offices.
“Some of the regular visitors to the Village Closet were devastated,” said Mollie Hartford, co-executive director of It Takes a Village. “‘What am I doing to do!?’ they said. The need for baby supplies never stops.”
So, while Village Closet staff search for a new home for the donation center, they’re bringing inventory to community centers and partner organizations across Western Massachusetts.
Families will be able to “shop” for free baby and children’s clothing, outerwear, shoes and diapers, and staff will be on-hand to collect donations of clean children’s clothing as well as disposable and cloth diapers, the release states. There are no income or residency requirements to attend the events or to take home items.
Other Pop-Ups events, besides the one in Greenfield, include:
■Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Berkshire Medical Center’s north campus, 77 Hospital Ave. in North Adams
■Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Square One, 1095 Main St. in Springfield
■Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Stanton Hall, 24 Russell Road in Huntington. This final Pop-Up will be Halloween-themed.
For more information on the events, visit hilltownvillage.org or call 413-650-3640.