Volunteers launching Northfield Clothing Closet, with soft opening Saturday

By RORY SWEETING

For the Recorder

Published: 08-08-2022 3:24 PM

NORTHFIELD — Inspired by It Takes a Village in Huntington, volunteers with the Ladies Benevolent Society of Northfield Farms are launching a free children’s clothing closet at the Field Library.

A soft opening will be held at the library, located at 243 Millers Falls Road, on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. After the soft opening, hours will be Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m., the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment.

The Northfield Clothing Closet is open to everyone, with clothes being free to take. Clothing is available for newborns up to 12-year-olds. Maternity and nursing clothes are also offered. Donations — provided they are not ripped, stained or smoky — are welcome, and can be dropped off in the building’s entryway.

According to volunteer Tierney Sodders, the Northfield Clothing Closet is inspired by several similar local projects. Sodders cites The Village Closet in Huntington as a particular inspiration. The Village Closet is offered through the larger It Takes a Village program, which was founded in 2009 to support families with babies and young children living in the rural hilltowns.

“We thought it would be great for there to be a resource similar to those (charities), but out this way,” Sodders said regarding the creation of a program to help her hometown.

The closet is driven by the Ladies Benevolent Society of Northfield Farms. Sodders said the charity has been operating since the 19th century and has worked on a variety of projects, such as soup kitchens and food pantries.

Sodders said she has been “pretty much volunteering (her) whole life” at charities such as Empty Arms (a bereavement support group), the Northfield Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization and the aforementioned It Takes a Village. She describes the Northfield Clothing Closet as being particularly personal to her. A resident of the same neighborhood as the Field Library, she frequently visits it with her young children, and appreciates the way it is giving back to the community.

Organizers are seeking more volunteers to help sort clothes and staff the Northfield Clothing Closet. Call or text 413-239-4990 for more information, or to make an appointment to pick up clothes outside of regular hours.

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An earlier version of this article included an incorrect name spelling for volunteer Tierney Sodders and an incorrect name for one of the organizations she has volunteered with. Sodders volunteers with the bereavement support group Empty Arms.

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