MANSFIELD – Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
This sentiment perfectly captures the mission of The New Store, according to its board of trustees. The trustees hosted an open house at the store on April 18 in honor of The New Store’s 20th anniversary as a nonprofit in Richland County, and its 10-year anniversary of operation.
A new expansion for uniform clothing, extra storage space for toys and backpacks and a galvanized volunteer force were just a few of the things worth celebrating at the Store’s open house.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this 10 years,” said Julie Kleshinski, executive director of The New Store. “The first 10 years of our existence we were just a small auxiliary affiliated with Richland County Children’s Services when we were approached and asked to take over this service.”
For the past decade, The New Store has assisted families in financial need with dressing students from kindergarten through eighth grade for the school year. It’s the most popular of the five programs offered by the Richland County Children’s Auxiliary, all designed to help Richland County children in need.
The New Store partners with all the school districts in Richland County, as most of the store’s clients come by referral through the school district. Families are referred to The New Store through a simple form filed by administrators, and the financial criteria is that the family must be enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program at school.
Once a family is referred, parents or guardians simply make a call to Kleshinski to set up an appointment on a “dressing day” at The New Store. The majority of dressing days are scheduled in August and September, with as many as 80 students per day and 1,100 over the entire school year.
These days are a favorite for the many New Store volunteers.
“When you help a kid, 99 out of 100 of them are so excited,” said Rick Sjostedt, president of the board. “It doesn’t matter if they’re six, seven or eight, they get that they’re going to have new clothes and they really, really appreciate it. The best part is having their face light up.”
The New Store makes a point to decorate its store with department-like decorations and racks full of brand-new clothing items to make the shopping experience special for the kids. Volunteers also work one-on-one with each student during their shopping trip – no parents allowed.
“We want the kids to feel like they’re having a true shopping experience,” Kleshinski said. “We want the kids to feel special when they come.”
“Some of these kids have never been in a real store to buy clothes,” Sjostedt added.
Often times, the experience is equally as rewarding for the volunteers.
“You knock yourself out looking for things for these kids,” said board member Ralph Kelsay.
All items are sent home at no charge for the families in need. The Richland County Children’s Auxiliary funds The New Store with TANF (temporary aid to needy families) grant money, private foundations and donations and one annual fundraiser per year.
“When I joined this organization we had a $20,000 budget and we helped maybe 50 kids at Christmas,” Kleshinski recalled. “Now we help 1,000 kids at Christmas and we’re on the verge of having a half-a-million dollar budget. That’s what I’m most proud of, is the growth of the organization.”
For more information about volunteering at The New Store or becoming a recipient, visit www.thenewstore.org.
