Villagers and other area residents opened their hearts and their pocketbooks on June 6 by donating more than $56,000 worth of clothing and other items for children living in poverty in the Ocala National Forest.
Despite a constant drizzle, hundreds of people waited in cars or golf carts to drop off donations of underwear, sneakers, other clothing and summer activity kits at this drive-thru event at the Hiers-Baxley Life Event Center on Wedgewood Lane.
“We were blown away by people’s generosity,” said Kathy Hartman, who oversaw the underwear collection. “We did much better than last year.”
Donations included 910 packages of underwear, 900 pairs of socks and 400 sports bras. In addition, Friends of SoZo Kids Inc., which sponsored the event, received a donation of 2,500 pairs of socks, valued at $20,000, from the Bombas Socks company. More than $2,600 in cash donations were collected at the June 6 event, as well.
Pam DiPetrillo, treasurer of Friends of SoZo Kids, led a team that collected about 1,000 pairs of new sneakers for children ages 5 to 17. The value of the new sneakers is estimated to be about $25,625. The sneakers, underwear and other clothing items, along with school supplies, will be distributed at the annual SoZo Kids back-to-school bash in August.
The SoZo Kids summer day program and Camp SoZo were canceled this year because of COVID-19. So Friends of SoZo Kids put out the call for donations of summer activity kits to give the children something to do while stuck at home. And people responded in a big way.
“We hoped we might get about 500 kits, but in fact, we received more than 1,500,” said LaRae Donnellan, president of Friends of SoZo Kids. The estimated value of those kits, which contained either art supplies, card games or handmade sock-ball games, was about $13,200. The kits were distributed to children at the SoZo Kids food bank or at other locations in the Forest.
“You guys are awesome,” said Pastor David Houck, founder of the Help Agency. “The kids loved the activity kits, and the clothing and school supplies are very much needed.”
Friends of SoZo Kids Inc., a nonprofit housed in The Villages, is dedicated to finding volunteers for and seeking donations to support the mission of the Help Agency of the Forest (also known as SoZo Kids). More information can be found at FriendsOfSoZoKids.com. To get on the mailing list, write to [email protected].