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Date: 6/30/2021
HUNTINGTON – It Takes a Village, which runs The Village Closet at 2 E. Main St. in Huntington, is this year’s winner of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Small Nonprofit category.
A panel of judges reviewed over 180 nominations that represented the work of nonprofits and professionals across the Commonwealth.
Since 2009, It Takes a Village has provided free postpartum and early parenting support to families with infants and young children living in Western Massachusetts. What started with one neighbor supporting one mother has expanded into a home visit program covering 29 towns, The Village Closet donation and distribution center that has distributed over $600,000 worth of free maternity, infant, and children’s clothing and gear; and a Parent Support and Education Program with drop-in support groups and free educational workshops for parents.
Talking about what sets the nonprofit apart, Mollie Hartford, It Takes a Village’s director of outreach and development, said, “I think the amount we’re able to do with such a small staff and a small budget of just over $100,000. We’re able to serve 18,000 a year and give thousands of dollars worth of baby gear and supplies. And our ability to quickly pivot to support a family on such a small budget.”
One unique aspect of The Village Closet is that it is the only diaper bank serving the hilltowns. They also give out maternity, baby, and children’s clothing, supplies, and baby formula. Everything is 100 percent free to everyone in the community, regardless of income or town of residence, and the majority comes from donations.
Hartford said people come to The Village Closet from all over the state, and even surrounding states. “It’s so fun to do the intake forms from the Village Closet. There are lots of folks from Huntington and Westfield, but we’ve also had families from Athol, Framingham, down in Connecticut and Halifax, VT. I have chatted with people who come from Lowell, who say there isn’t anything like this where they live,” she said.
“We forget that this model does not exist outside of our organization. You can come, it’s free, get nice things, meet nice people, and you don’t have to prove anything to access it. It’s more like community sharing,” Hartford said.
The Village Closet moved into the former St. Thomas Church in Huntington in 2020, after having to move several times in a few short years. “It’s still so nice to have that space. It feels like everything came together,” Hartford said. During COVID, they were able to provide donations curbside by appointment, and hold virtual parenting workshops. “With COVID, we’re all used to working remotely anyway. We were able to plow right through,” she added.
The Village Closet is now open for walk-ins on Sundays and Monday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesdays 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the summer. They will be closed July 4 and 5.
Donations are always welcome, especially diapers. Hartford said they always need bigger sizes of diapers, sizes five and six. They also accept open bags of diapers, which they rebundle to give out. Another need is donations of formula, especially hypoallergenic formula, which Hartford said is expensive and doesn’t allow WIC dollars to stretch far enough.
“We are good on clothes,” Hartford said. By the end of the summer, they will be running out of summer clothes, shorts, and t-shirts. The things in the bins will be for winter, so they will be taking donations of summer clothes until the end of the summer. She said there is no need for people to go out and buy clothes to donate, adding that donations of formula and diapers go a lot further.
Hartford said they can’t accept donations of drop-side cribs, which are now illegal, or of Rock ‘n Play sleepers which are on recall. She said donations should be in good shape, “not ratty or broken – something you would give someone as a gift.”
The Village Closet is also offering monthly free sidewalk sales. In June, they had a free sidewalk sale featuring women’s clothing. The next one on July 18 will be toddler and preschool sizes. Future sidewalk sales will be back to school items, including backpacks and lunchboxes, and in October, Halloween costumes. Hartford said the events will be posted on the website at www.HilltownVillage.org and in the monthly events calendar. The sales will be held indoors in bad weather.
Hartford said It Takes a Village has restarted one of its in-person parent groups, which will be held outdoors in Ashfield for the summer. She said they plan to start a parent group in Huntington in the future.
Families looking for support and community members looking to get involved can learn more at www.HilltownVillage.org or by calling 650-3640.
It Takes a Village was also recently recognized on the floor of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for its work.