Elyria family new to Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child

Mary Lee Tucker ClotheA-Child program has been helping Lorain County families and their children in need since the 1920s.

Today, the program continues to allow shoppers/ volunteers in the community to assist a number of new or returning families in need of some winter clothing necessities.

Alicia Fair of Elyria is participating in the program for the first time this holiday season.

Fair, 26, has four youngsters who will be shopped for — her daughter Aubrey, 7, and sons Logan, 6, Ryan, 5, and Bentley, 4.

She said she first heard of the program through an advertisement at Lorain County Community Action Agency’s youth Head Start program in Lorain.

Fair was at first unfamiliar with the Clothe-AChild program, but learned it helps families and their youngsters who are in need for winter clothing supplies.

After speaking with the program’s coordinator, Linda Batozynski, Fair said she was also told about the shoppers who take time out of their day to shop with the families and their children.

Batozynski is in charge of choosing the volunteers who apply and meet the criteria required to be a shopper and matches them with

a child or family up to four children.

If volunteers meet all criteria to qualify to be a shopper, then they can meet the families at the stores provided by Batozynski and take the children shopping after they pick up the clothing vouchers.

The vouchers supply each child with $150 for clothing.

Batozynski said roughly 400 children were clothed last year.

She added the program encourages the volunteers to buy practical school clothing starting with outerwear like boots, coats and gloves to regular school clothes and underclothing.

Fair said at times it can be hard buying certain clothing items for her children at the same time.

“This program is a great idea because people are working 40 hours a week to afford things (like rent/ mortgage or food),” Fair said. “It’s hard for parents to buy (extra) clothes when you’re working so much, too.”

Fair said she does happen

to work more than 40 hours a week at times and is looking forward to have some help in getting new and needed items for her youngsters.

She was unaware her children had a say in the clothing chosen for them, but she knows they will be excited to choose something they want and need.

“I haven’t told my kids they will be getting shopped for yet,” she said. “I’m going to wait to tell them so I can surprise them. I know they’ll be excited to pick out their own things.”

The youngsters will shop with the volunteer in December at Midway Mall in Elyria.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the shopper and the experience, because I don’t know what to expect. It’s different,” Fair said.

“It’s nice you get to meet the (volunteer), who’s willing to help donate their time to it.”

She said the program is a new opportunity to her family as a way to spread holiday cheer.