New Haven, Conn. – A new project, the “Somebody Cares Closet,” has been launched at Claire’s Corner Copia to provide personal care and household cleaning products for children and families served by the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC). Donations are now being accepted and the items such as baby wipes, washcloths, band aids, deodorant, and more can be dropped off at Claire’s on 1000 Chapel Street in New Haven. View the project flyer for a complete list of items or donate directly from the Someone Cares Closet wish list. Families receiving services at the YCSC Outpatient Clinic will be informed about this new resource and they will have the option to receive these supplies as needed.
The project is a collaboration in response to an overlooked hygiene crisis in America. Project lead and YCSC Clinical Instructor Carolina Rivera Parrott, LCSW said that Claire Criscuolo, RN, owner and namesake of Claire’s Corner Copia, “…reached out to me one day when I was visiting her restaurant. She expressed her support for what Yale Child Study Center has been doing for families during COVID times and expressed appreciation for the work we do, the ways we are serving families mental health needs. She sparked a conversation about basic needs for children and we discussed the impact of poverty on individuals’ mental health.”
This conversation sparked ideas for a project proposal to specifically target families’ basic needs, which Criscuolo offered to support. Parrott brainstormed with several social work colleagues at the YCSC Outpatient Clinic and narrowed their ideas down to hygiene products for children, responding specifically to hygiene poverty and a comment from Criscuolo during the conversation. “I don’t have to think twice about how I am going to brush my teeth because I always have toothpaste. There are people who don’t have that same privilege,” said Criscuolo.
“She was baffled by the limited resources available to support people who may be struggling to access or afford hygiene and cleaning products, said Parrott. “We decided to start this pilot with children’s hygiene supplies first. We are hoping to begin passing out bags by the end of March. As a committee, we created a list of items and made it available to clinicians via Qualtrics to get a sense from clinicians about what the families may need.”
I don’t have to think twice about how I am going to brush my teeth because I always have toothpaste. There are people who don’t have that same privilege.
Claire Criscuolo of Claire’s Corner Copia
Some of the faces behind the “Someone Cares Closet” are pictured; left to right are Claire Criscuolo, RN, of Claire’s Corner Copia; and YCSC clinicians Anamaria Orozco, LCSW; Marissa Zemaitis, LPC; and Carolina Rivera Parrott, LCSW. Not included in the photo are Sandi Gossart-Walker, LCSW and Katie Arnone, Social Work Intern.
Children are significantly more likely to miss school when there is a chance they will be teased about the smell or appearance of their clothes. Hygiene products deliver health, confidence, and dignity to those in need. As stated in a letter to the community from Criscuolo and YCSC Director Linda Mayes, MD, “No child should have to wake up worried about how they look, feel, or smell because they can’t afford a bar of soap or tube of toothpaste. When we think about access to basic needs, we think of food, shelter, and clothing. Essential personal care and cleaning products are often overlooked. The reality is that many children and individuals are choosing between a meal, paying rent or putting money towards the purchase of hygiene products.”