THE SHARING SHELF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Demand for Clothing This Summer in Westchester Grew 27.8% Over the Previous Summer
Port Chester, NY – September 15, 2025 – As America recognizes National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day today, The Sharing Shelf, the nonprofit Clothing Bank serving children and teens in need in Westchester County, announced that demand for clothing grew 27.8% over the previous summer. What had historically been a quieter time of year, with schools largely out of session, is now experiencing dramatic growth in clothing requests as well.
In June 2025, The Sharing Shelf received the second-highest number of requests in a single month – 738 – a staggering 78% increase compared to the 414 requests received in June 2024. In July, requests grew from 534 in 2024 to 622 in 2025; in August, they rose from 668 in 2024 to 705 in 2025. Total requests in those three summer months therefore grew from 1,616 in 2024 to 2,065 in 2025: a 27.8% increase.
That comes on top of a 43.5% increase in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. Growth in requests in the first eight months of 2025 thus rose 34% compared to the same period of the previous year: from 4,686 requests in that period of 2024 to 5,815 requests in 2025.
“This data underscores – in real time – the growing clothing insecurity in Westchester,” said Deborah Blatt, Founder and Executive Director of The Sharing Shelf. “We don’t need to wait for the next census to tell us what we already know: poverty is rising. This data should now inform policymakers in the county and statewide.”
Requests to The Sharing Shelf for clothing for children and teens came in 2024 from 588 staff members at 161 community partner agencies across Westchester, demonstrating the breadth of need across the county. Those children and teens live in every community in Westchester.
In 2024, The Sharing Shelf provided clothing to 6,764 children and teens – an increase of 23% from 2023. The number of children served this summer (2,065) is greater than the number helped in all of 2020. While Westchester is among the nation’s wealthiest counties, its poverty rate for children under five was 11.1% in 2023, according to Westchester Children’s Association. More than 67,000 children and teens live in poverty or a low-income home in Westchester.
For information on how to donate clothing, visit https://sharingshelf.org/get-involved/donate-clothing/. For information on how to volunteer, visit https://sharingshelf.org/get-involved/#volunteer-in-our-clothing-bank. For more information or to speak with Deborah Blatt, contact Henry Miller at 917-921-8034 or hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com.
About The Sharing Shelf
The Sharing Shelf is a nonprofit clothing bank serving Westchester County, NY. Founded in 2009, it operates a warehouse in Port Chester, where new and gently used clothes are collected, volunteers screen the clothes for quality, and the clothes are distributed for free to low-income children and teens through social-service agencies, schools, and other nonprofits. The Sharing Shelf also opened in 2024 (adjacent to the warehouse) a Teen Boutique, where teens in financial need, referred by schools and nonprofit organizations, can select their own clothing at no cost in a private and dignified setting that has the look and feel of a real boutique. In every case, the ultimate recipient is a child or teen in need – from newborn to age 19. The clothing is both age- and season-appropriate, fits properly, and boosts the individual’s esteem and confidence.