Saint Vincent Martyr Announces Fall Clothing Drive

When tallying the donations at Saint Vincent Martyr’s spring clothing drive in May, two tons of donations would have qualified as a good day, organizers said.

Instead, Madison-area residents dropped off a whopping six tons of gently used items, making it the most successful event to date by the Madison church in its decade-long effort to help less fortunate parishioners at St. Agnes in Paterson, they said.

“We provide an opportunity for them to receive badly needed clothing,” Mike Dreitlein, who runs the twice-yearly charitable event, said in a news release.

Dreitlin hopes to achieve another generous response at the church’s fall clothing drive, which takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Vincent Martyr School in Madison.

While some drives collect and sell items for fundraising, Saint Vincent’s offers a chance to donate gently used clothing—coats, shirts, sweaters, shoes, hats and gloves, even handbags—directly to those in need.

“Whether it’s some kind of formal wear for a job, shoes for children, recreational clothing or just a warm sweater, we distribute these at their parish,” Dreitlein said. “We set up right in the church’s facilities and arrange it like a store so the local families can come in and take whatever they need.”

Donated items can be dropped off at the entrance to Saint Vincent Martyr School, in the church’s parking lot on Wilmer Street, just off Green Avenue.

Saint Vincent’s volunteer team includes Paul Allocco, who donates his time and cost to rent the truck used to transport the clothes to St. Agnes; Dreitlein, along with his three sons, Mike, Max and Chase; parishioner Frank McKenna and his three daughters, Mary, Grace and Juliana; and Coldwell Banker Madison agent Marc Boisclair, who helps promote the event.

For more information contact Dreitlein, social ministries committee member, at 973-727-5958 or mdrei04@aol.com.