Family continues to benefit from Clothe-a-Child

The Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child program is continuing its holiday tradition of providing assistance to local families.

Christine Woodrum, of Lorain, is participating for the fourth time after first becoming aware of the program through her eldest son Nathaniel’s preschool.

Woodrum said she’s been thankful for the support provided through the Clothe-a-Child program.

“It helps out with the clothing and everything,” she said. “I ended up buying the coats early. Later on in the season, the clothes help out more.”

This year, Woodrum said volunteers will shop at JC Penney’s in Elyria in early December with her two children Nathaniel, 9 and Christian, 5.

While the shopping list isn’t finalized, Woodrum says she’ll be on the lookout for clothes for her fast growing boys.

“They need a lot of clothes,” she said. “I just think it’s a great thing they’re doing.”

In 2017, Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child was able to go shopping for about 400 children.

For the 2018 campaign, Mary Lee Tucker Clothea-Child Coordinator Linda Batozynski said a number of families are returning to participate again this year as well as new families involved in it for the first time.

Batozynski, who has been with the program for 10 years, coordinates volunteers who are paired with families to assist them in shopping.

The program provides clothing for Lorain County children between the ages of 4 and 16 who are given $150 vouchers for clothing.

Dating back to 1924, the Clothe-a-Child named after a former Morning Journal employee has assisted hundreds of children each year in going shopping for clothing with the help of a team of volunteers.

The Morning Journal’s flagship charitable program funded through local donations and the summer Journal Jog 5k run pairs families with volunteer shoppers who prioritize buying winter clothing and regular school clothing.

The program provides clothing for Lorain County children between the ages of 4 and 16 who are given $150 vouchers for clothing.