Volunteers Sought for Kristen’s Kloset – Can You Help?

Eight years after the death of former student Kristen Warner, one of her dreams and the dreams of many Southington teenagers remains very much alive thanks to the generous donations of volunteers throughout the community.

Kristen’s Kloset has grown each year, Director Sue Saucier said, and the department is seeking volunteer’s to make sure the opportunities continue to expand again in 2012.

The department is calling out for all available volunteers to serve in Kristen’s Kloset, a program which provides inexpensive dress and accessory options for the town’s teenagers as they prepare for prom season. The first volunteer meeting will be held on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Youth Services Department at .

“We are looking forward to making this the best year yet,” Saucier said on Wednesday.

Kristen’s Kloset offers a variety of gently used and donated dresses, most between $25 and $35, as well as a variety of accessories. The program is open to students from throughout the community. The program is named in honor of Warner, who was killed in a 2004 car accident.

“Each year Southington Youth Services solicits for an available space,” says volunteer Jackie Willametz in a 2011 interview. “The space this year is ample. With four double dressing rooms girls aren't squeezed into tight spaces as they had been before. We never know where the store will be. Every year is different.”

The 2012 location will be housed at 1850 West St. in Southington, a space donated by local chiropractors Dr. Robert Porzio and Dr. Andrew Hawley, and is easily accessible off of Interstate 84, Saucier said.

This year, the store will be open on Tuesdays from 2 – 6 p.m., Thursdays from 2 – 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The grand opening will be March 10, Saucier announced Thursday.

The store is open to the public, but students are asked to bring their student IDs.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the Youth Services Department at (860) 276-6281. The first volunteer meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Want to learn more? Take a look at the 2011 feature on Kristen's Kloset by .