GREENFIELD — When It Takes a Village lost its lease at the former Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington, its leaders didn’t lose focus on their mission of providing free maternity, infant and children’s clothes and gear to local families.
Undaunted, Co-Director Mollie Hartford said, “We packed up the trucks and drove all the stuff to Leyden Woods, where the management donated the Community Room.”
Cars lined the driveway from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, and mostly women, many with their young children in tow, lined up to look through the bins of clothes and other children’s items that they might have ordinarily found at It Takes a Village’s donation and distribution center, called The Village Closet. Friday’s event was one of four “pop-up” events the nonprofit organization is holding across Western Massachusetts.
Hartford, who runs The Village Closet with Lisa Goding, added that they’ve already offered pop-up stores in North Adams and Springfield. As of Friday, they also had one planned in Huntington the following day.
Jahayra Rivera, of Greenfield, stopped by after her shift at work to look for clothes for her daughter, who was working and couldn’t attend to shop for her 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. Shopping with Rivera was another daughter, Greenfield resident Diasha Ventura, who was looking for clothes for her own 4-year-old daughter.
Just across the bins was Greenfield resident Lynn Nelson, who was picking up items for her 4-year-old granddaughter. Nelson said she learned about the pop-up shop on Facebook, and was happy to help her daughter who “works so hard for her family.”
Stephanie Lane, of Turners Falls, who attended the pop-up shop to pick up formula and diapers, was bouncing her 6-month-old baby Penny Lane on her shoulder while her son, Carter Lane, 2½, sprawled on the floor. She remarked that she depends on charities like The Village Closet and Warm the Children to supplement her family’s needs.
Reach Paul Franz at 413-772-0261, ext. 287 or pfranz@recorder.com.
