All children can look their Sunday best this Easter with the Stroll and Pose clothing drive organized by Children’s Futures and partners Center for Child and Family Achievement (CCFA), Mercer Street Friends, Living a Powerful Life (LAPL), and The City of Trenton.
Starting today, April 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to Friday, April 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., residents in the Trenton community can take their kids to visit Children’s Futures at 16 West Front Street to select from a wide-range of donated dress clothes.
“We received a donation from an organization that supported us for a few years now and they’ve donated over 200 pieces of clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, socks, ties…. anything and everything to create outfits for kids,” said Tamika Hall, Community Services Coordinator of Children’s Futures. “With this donation, in such a short period of time, I thought, ‘how can I get them out to the community and what can we do once they get them.'”
After weighing different options, Children’s Futures decided to reinvent an old Easter tradition held in the city of Trenton. “Historically, Trentonians would stroll from State Street to Cadwalader Park; they would do a whole barbecue, and the balloon man would be there, and the animals in the cages,” said Hall. “Although we didn’t have enough time to put together such a large event, the folks at City Hall allowed us to use at least the front of the steps and the perimeter of the building to just giving [residents] an area that’s safe and convenient for everybody to get to, right in Downtown Trenton.”
On Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, families and children who have received the donated items can meet at City Hall from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an evening of dress-up fun. The event allows for residents, who may otherwise not have had the chance, to take photos of their children and families.
For social distancing purposes, Children’s Futures asks residents who would like to pick up clothing to call their facility at (609) 695-1977 and discuss what size and style of clothing they are looking for. If unable, walk-ins are still welcomed.
“The whole hope is that we’re able to at least provide, if not a complete outfit, maybe something they’re missing; maybe they need tights, or a cardigan, or a pair of shoes,” said Hall. “We want to help them out by giving them items that have been donated.”
The Stroll and Pose event is just another way in which Children’s Futures has been serving the Trenton community. Since its development in 2002, the organization has been providing services for young mothers and families. Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Children’s Futures has supplied free pregnancy testing, pre-parenting sessions and nutritional and cooking lessons, as well as offered the distribution of diapers, formulas and baby wipes to families in the city. The organizations team of nurses and doulas have decreased the amount of emergency room visits for expecting mothers and new parents.
“We’ve never stopped serving,” said Hall, “and hopefully, we can do even more within the city of Trenton and in Mercer County.”
For more information about the Stroll and Pose event, contact Tamika Hall at thall@childrensfutures.org.
