A list of what the families currently living in the Kensington family shelter need has been compiled by the neighborhood residents who serve as volunteer liaisons between the neighborhood and the shelter.
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Hello neighbors,
We hope you all had a wonderful summer.
Now that everyone is back from vacation, we have checked in with the Kensington family shelter on current needs and are passing along those requests to you.
Halloween costumes: The shelter is accepting new and used costumes for boys and girls, infant through size 14. Please make sure the costumes have been laundered, or if they are not washable that they do not have any pet fur or hair on them since some children at the shelter have allergies. They can be dropped off at 385 McDonald Avenue, attention Uniquia, between now and October 15th.
Harvest Party captain: We traditionally host a party for the shelter kids around Halloween. This year's monster mash will be on Saturday, October 27th. We would love to have one or two captains helm this event and be responsible for planning food and entertainment and overseeing it on the day of the event. We will, of course, help you put out the call for the necessary donations and helpers. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with CAPTAIN in the subject line.
Budgeting tutor: The shelter is seeking someone to lead a periodic household budgeting workshop for clients who will be moving out. Ideally, the volunteer will have some experience providing this kind of assistance. If you are interested in speaking with the shelter about this opportunity, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with BUDGET in the subject line and a sentence or two about your experience/expertise, and we will put you in touch.
Diapers: The shelter always needs diapers (and wipes!). Sizes 4, 5, and 6 are needed most urgently and can be dropped off at 385 McDonald Avenue, attention Uniquia. If you are interested in doing a diaper drive for the shelter, please let us know at givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com.
Cooking items: The shelter provides cooking demonstrations for the clients. They are seeking one large crock pot/slow cooker in good condition and a hot plate with two burners. If you have one to donate, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with COOKING in the subject line.
Move-Out Packages: The good news is that families are moving out of the Kensington shelter and into more permanent housing all the time. While the city provides vouchers for basic furniture, there's a lot more that they need. With your help, we have been able to put together housewarming packages for them to take to their new apartments. We've created an Amazon wish list with the needed items. You can order and ship directly from Amazon, or buy similar items elsewhere and ship or drop them at the shelter, attention Uniquia Parker. Here's the link: https://amzn.to/2OCsttS.
Thanks to all of you for your continued generosity. It means a lot to the shelter staff, and to us, that your willingness to help has not waned over time. In the coming weeks, we will be getting together shelter holiday plans and reaching out.
Love,
Catherine and Tracy