The non-denominational nonprofit Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. in Waterbury announced the receipt of a donation from the Exchange Club of Waterbury Charitable Foundation, Inc. to begin their 14th annual Back-to-School “Swap and Shop,” of school uniform tops and bottoms that will be held in August.
Megan Charette, Exchange Club of Waterbury Charitable Foundation, Inc. President, commented, “The Exchange Club Charitable Foundation is proud to be able to support the children of the Waterbury community. We are passionate believers in every child’s right to a positive environment in which to learn and grow, and are honored to assist in whatever way we can to help these kids realize their full potential.”
During the 2018 “Swap and Shop” gently-worn donated and newly-purchased uniforms will be distributed free or at low costs to children throughout the Greater Waterbury region.
Acts 4 Ministry is currently welcoming monetary donations toward the drive, and during June and July, they will also welcome new or gently-used uniform tops in white, blue (any shade), black or gray, and bottoms in khaki, navy, black, and gray. All sizes will be accepted, sizes 6, 7, 8, and above are especially needed.
School accessories are also much-needed including book bags, lunch bags, rulers, folders and writing tools.
To date, in addition to the Exchange Club of Waterbury’s generous donation, Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. has gratefully accepted donations of school supplies from the National Honor Society of Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury.
Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. is a charitable group of a volunteer board of directors, staff members and dozens of volunteers who desire to share God’s love by meeting the physical needs of others. “We achieve this daily on many levels,” explains Carabetta, “by collecting and distributing, free-of-charge to recipients, clothing, and housewares plus free furniture to individuals or families who have suddenly lost their homes to a fire, flood or other unexpected devastation or upsetting life event.
The organization hosts a retail thrift store at their 1713 Thomaston Avenue headquarters that is open to the public. Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. also welcomes referred individuals and families from local social service organizations, churches, etc. to come to their retail shop to personally select, at no charge, clothing, dishes, glassware, furnishings, and items to meet other basic needs. The organization is dedicated to building relationships with people while providing them with the basics of daily living needs.
Each year the organization distributes over 25,000 articles of clothing plus over 4,000 pieces of furniture to over 150 homes within Greater Waterbury. People of varying income levels are served, appointments are necessary. The Back-to-School Program is one of several Acts 4 Ministry’s ongoing programs to distribute resources to families throughout the area.
Donations can be brought to the Acts 4 Ministry offices and retail shop at their 1713 Thomaston Avenue location in Waterbury between 9:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Items can also be placed in the Acts 4 Ministry Donation Box outside their building. Please mark donations “School Items”. If needed, large collections of items can be picked up by Acts 4 Ministry during the last week of July.
Monetary tax-deductible donations can be U.S. Mailed to Acts 4 Ministry, Inc., PO Box 4524, Waterbury, CT 06704 with a memo “Back to School drive”.
To learn more about Acts 4 Ministry, Inc., and a listing of current tax-deductible donation needs, visit www.acts4.org or contact Sarah Elizabeth Carabetta at 203-574-2287 or via email to executivedirector@acts4.org.