‘Mom Box’ program an ‘amazing’ opportunity for young families

Prices and how quickly kids outgrow things are a couple of challenges with keeping young children properly clothed, according to one mother who attended a monthly event on Tuesday that provides several free items for families.

Alex Marr was one of about 50 people who were taking advantage of the Mom Box program in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church browsing everything from winter jackets, clothes, and supplies like diapers and wet wipes.

Carrying her 19-month-old daughter Eden, Marr said she attends regularly and will often donate clothing items back after using them for a few months, something many families do through the program because kids “grow so, so fast.”

It’s a very convenient option for parents who are on a tight budget.

“There’s not a lot of thrift stores in Fort Erie or anything that’s cheap enough for low-income families to afford,” she said.

Haylee Pearson, a mother of two children aged five and 11, was visiting the monthly event for the first time, and had found a coat for her youngest child, she explained to Fort Erie Radio.

She said it’s “amazing” what is offered through the program.

“There’s not a lot of programs out there to help people, especially after COVID,” she said, noting that she also brought a collection of items to donate to the cause on Tuesday, which she said is easier than posting to Facebook marketplace and waiting for someone to schedule a pick-up time.

This is the third year for the program, started by cousins Faith Schaeffer and Megan Kelley.

On Tuesday, Kelley said donations come from both the church community and local residents through the program’s Facebook page.

“We constantly have a ton of donations to bring in and go through,” she said.

Kelley estimated that each month, about 70 to 80 kids are on the receiving end of the program through the roughly 50 caregivers who come through.

“It’s starting to pick up as more people are becoming aware of the program,” said Kelley.

There are sizes available for boys and girls, plus women’s clothes. The program does receive men’s clothes but due to a lack of space at the church at the corner of Douglas and Bertie streets, those donations are handed over to Start Me Up Niagara’s mobile closet.

There are four organizations that also receive donations that the Mom Box (also known as Mom to Mom) program is unable to fit into its inventory.

“We get so many donations that we have to get rid of because of our overflow,” she said.

The program continues for day two of this month’s edition on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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