The Power of Kindness

What began four years ago as a modest back to school event has grown into a full-scale operation, thanks to the generosity of businesses, community members and organizations—and the hard work of Brewster High School Career Skills students and staff.

The fourth annual Free Shopping Event, sponsored by BHS Career Skills and held September 24, 2026 from 3:30-6:30 pm at Brewster’s First Baptist Church, will provide Brewster Central School District families with access to brand-new name-brand clothing and other items at no cost. More than $100,000 worth of clothing and community donations have been collected for this year’s event.

A major highlight is a generous donation from United Way, includes approximately $100,000 worth of clothing-- sweats, bathrobes, shorts and bags, and professional outfits.

The event is the result of year-round work by students and staff in the Career Skills program. Donna Schneider, Sarah Barnes and Denise Galgano, along with District Community Outreach Specialist Maider Solores, help coordinate the outreach, collection, and organization of clothing for the event.

Throughout the year, students and staff collect donations from the community as well as unclaimed items from the District’s lost and found. The clothing is washed, sorted by size and carefully stored until it is time to prepare for the event. Students also help load the donations into vehicles, transport them to the church and transform the space into a free shopping experience for local families.

This year, five students are participating in the preparation and operation of the event.

Inside the church, bags and boxes fill the space, along with tables stacked high with brand-new clothing. Christian and Ben carry boxes filled with XL pants, while Angelica checks the labels on winter coats and carefully organizes them by size on long rectangular tables. Dozens of garbage bags filled with clothing are still waiting to be sorted.

“This coat feels very warm and heavy,” Angelica said as she examined one of the coats. “It’s an extra large, so I am going to put it with the extra larges. Wait, this one is extra small. I need to move it.”

For the students, the event is more than simply sorting and distributing clothing. It is an opportunity to practice valuable life and workplace skills while making a meaningful contribution to their community.

“It feels great to help out,” said Christian.

So far, 118 families have signed up for the event, which is open to Brewster Central School District families. Approximately 200 students are expected to benefit.

The District’s IT Department will also be on hand during the event to assist BCSD families with technology-related questions.

For the Career Skills students, the Free Back to School Shopping Event provides a hands-on opportunity to put classroom lessons into action—from organization and communication to teamwork, responsibility and community service.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of our community,” said Schneider. “Their support makes experiences like this possible and shows our students the power of kindness and connection. Events like this fit right into our classroom mission—teaching life skills, building confidence, and creating meaningful opportunities for every student to grow and shine.”