Newhallville Bundles Up

“I’ve had trouble finding coats,” said Karen Tucker, who brought her two great-nephews Eli and Jayden, who are 8 and 9 respectively, to a giveaway on Saturday. ​“The ones in the store aren’t insulated or don’t fit right. And they’re more expensive for bigger sizes.”

Tucker came to the coat drive, hosted by Ruth Kid’s Closet, at Newhallville’s Learning Corridor, the outdoor community space at Shelton Avenue and Hazel Street.

Cynthia Spears, who grew up in Newhallville, created Ruth Kid’s Closet this past year.

Her mother, Ruth Friday, was a teacher in the New Haven Public Schools for 35 years. ​“She always had a closet in her classroom with weather-appropriate clothing,” said Spears. ​“When she’d see a kid come in with just a sweater on a cold winter day, she’d give them warm clothes.”

In 2008, Spears moved back to her childhood home on Huntington Street to take care of her mother when she got dementia. After her mother passed away seven years ago, Spears decided to stay in Newhallville, and ​“start something she would be proud of.”

“Newhallville has been one of the hardest hit communities in the pandemic,” said Spears. ​“When people are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table, there’s few resources for winter clothing.”

Spears secured a donation from the Yale Community for New Haven Fund, which helped her buy about 300 winter coats for kids. Because Ruth Kid’s Closet has not gotten federal nonprofit tax status, CPEN (Community Placemaking Engagement Network) served as the fiduciary, overseeing the donation. Doreen Abubakar, the creator of CPEN, was also presentSaturday and bundling coats.

Throughout the grey afternoon, families came and went. Kids posed in front of ​“Wear a mask” sign for photos and bounced around with hula hoops.

“What size are you looking for?” Spears asked Nikia Carey. Carey came with four kids aged 4, 5, 6 and 13. Spears helped the kids put the coats on, making sure they fit. ​“This is warm!” declared one of Carey’s kids. ​“I like it.”

“We went to community events throughout the summer, encouraging people to register for coats,” Spears said. ​“Sixty-five families signed up, requesting 150 coats.” In addition to the initial sign-ups, Spears estimated that another 70 families came and registered on site that day.

Laura Daniels was one of the parents who had pre-registered. She came with her 9‑year-old daughter, Halo Daniels. (Daniels requested to not be photographed). Halo had two ponytails, a pink sweater, and a big smile.

Halo received a knee-length green coat with a fur hood, which she immediately tried on and pronounced comfortable. It’ll serve as her main coat for when she goes back to hybrid in-person/remote learning next month.

“Financially with Covid, grocery prices have skyrocketed,” said Daniels. ​“This is one less thing to budget in for.” 

For Chaila Gilliams, it was hard to find a size for her 13-year-old son Owen.“For young children, you can find a good deal for coats,” she said. ​“But with the speciality sizes, prices are higher.”

Her son is athletic and likes to spend time outside with friends. ​“It’s getting cold out, and having a nice coat helps with socializing outside,” she said.

Gilliams registered on the same day, so her son’s size wasn’t available. ​“They’re ordering a special size for him, and it’ll come next week,” she said.

Peyton Covington, who is 7 years old, came with his grandfather. Peyton didn’t have a lot of winter clothing, he said, and last year he didn’t wear his coat much because he didn’t like the color. Robert Smith, Peyton’s grandfather, had trouble getting winter clothes. ​“It’s hard to get a job in the pandemic,” said Smith.

In addition to coats, Spears handed out child-sized masks, hand sanitizer, and little goodie bags.

“See this book?” said Spears, holding up a children’s book. ​“It’s an explanation of Covid for little kids. I emailed the author and asked permission to print and distribute them today.”

Spears is planning to come back every Saturday until the coats run out. It’s clear that her efforts are appreciated. ​“This is a really good resource for the neighborhood,” said Daniels.