Volunteers are the heart of the Ken-Ton Closet, making it possible for us to serve children and families throughout the Village of Kenmore and Town of Tonawanda. As a 100% volunteer-run organization, our day-to-day operations and special initiatives rely on individuals who are willing to give their time, care, and energy. Whether helping on a regular basis or supporting seasonal projects, volunteers play a vital role in creating an organized, welcoming space where children can feel supported, prepared, and valued.

VOLUNTEERING

Student Volunteering

Kids helping kids is an important concept here at the Closet! Students can get involved through various opportunities throughout the year to earn community service hours for NHS/government class and other requirements or to simply spend time giving back to other children. Although students generally cannot volunteer during regular shopping hours to maintain the privacy of our customers, we do have special events throughout the year. Opportunities are posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages. In the past we have hosted:

Seasonal clothing change over
Backpack filling
Summer internships
Cleaning/Sorting catch up days

Special Event Volunteering

Throughout the year we host a few special events for community members to volunteer. Most of them are family friendly which is a wonderful chance for supervised children to be involved. Opportunities are posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages. In the past we have hosted:

Filling bags (toiletry, other supplies)
Backpack filling
Cleaning/Sorting catch up days
Food sorting

Regular Volunteering

Our weekly volunteers are the heart and soul of our day to day operation. They work regular shifts on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays (9:30 AM - 1 PM or 12:30 PM to 4 PM), and/or the 2nd Saturday of each month (9 AM - 1:30 PM). They also have opportunities to help with other times for special student visits. This has a much greater time and energy commitment but we do have a lot of fun! Opportunities to become a regular volunteer are posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages as needed throughout the year. If you have questions about volunteering or would like to schedule a tour, you can call us at 716.218.9589 or email us ken.toncloset@gmail.com.

We could probably never come up with a complete list of things our volunteers do, but here are some:

Assisting families shopping
Sorting donations
Inspecting clothing
Racking/packing clothing
Stocking shelves
Picking up donations at collection sites
Working with other volunteers and student interns
Matching halloween costumes
Filling take-home library
Helping during backpack stuffing
Seasonal clothing flip
Cleaning
Inventory/counting
Decorating