DCFstorefor CT kids has permanent location in Glastonbury: 'Take what you need'
Aug. 9—The Olive Branch is set up in several rooms on the second floor of the parish house. The 800-square-foot store is stocked with toys, games, clothing, backpacks and other donated items for kids under the care of the state Department of Children and Families.
The store had been open during holiday seasons last year and the year before in the Somerset Square retail plaza in Glastonbury. But the landlord found a new tenant for the space, so DCF had to find a new location. Rev. Matt Handi of St. Luke's said the church was happy to offer the space free of charge as it was no longer being used for the church's youth group and Sunday school.
Handi noted commandments to love God and love your neighbor. With rooms "full of wonder and surprise," the Olive Branch, he said, is all about love, dignity and hope.
Speakers stressed the no-shame character of the store. Families shop by appointment and can choose what they need. Renei Stone of East Hartford told reporters and guests that she was struggling to get Christmas presents for her kids last year when she heard about the Olive Branch. Used to accepting what is chosen for her at food pantries and other charities, Stone said she was overwhelmed with gratitude when Jackie Ford, the DCF worker and community outreach coordinator who started the store, told her, "Take whatever you need."
Stone's 15-year-old daughter is in state care, dealing with emotional and behavioral issues that Stone said she as a parent could not manage on her own. But she and her daughter are working with the DCF, Stone said, and she hopes to have her girl back home soon. On Wednesday morning, she said she was planning to pick up some arts and crafts items for her daughter.
DCF officials said the Olive Branch was a response to countless emails and calls from Connecticut businesses, groups and residents who wanted to donate new toys, bikes, and gifts to children in state care. Major donors to the store include Walmart, the Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce, Glastonbury Rotary, Glastonbury Lifestyle Magazine, Touch of Glamour and Greenwich Med Spa, Ford said.
The permanent location means families have access to the store year-round for birthdays and other celebrations. If families need help getting to the store, DCF staff can drive them or arrange transportation, agency spokesperson Ken Mysogland said.
DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes said the agency serves about 13,000 families each year, with about 3,000 children in foster care. The Olive Branch, Dorantes said, will help "destigmatize the need for help" throughout the year.
"Hope and health," she said, "have no season."
—
Lamont calls on other states to help protect horseshoe crabs
—
Device developed in CT could help cure brain cancers
To make a donation to the Olive Branch or to volunteer, email Jackie Ford at jacqueline.ford@ct.gov.
