The parents of Connellsville, Connellsville Township and Rt. 119 Head Start centers organized and hosted a Sock Hop and Clothes Swap on March 22, 2019. The purpose of the evening was to help Head Start and Early Head Start families through a clothes and food drive. The theme was “If you have it, give it; if you need it, take it.” Enrolled families and the community opened their hearts, and donated clothes and food as well as their time. The parent group worked hard for 3 weeks soliciting, gathering and organizing donations. The parents invited the Head Start Health Assistants to attend in order to be available to see children who needed hearing and vision screening, as well as labs completed. Belinda Mulhorn, Community Representative, was also invited to answer questions about Blue Chip insurance.
During the event the volunteers worked together to greet families and display clothing and food so families could take what they needed. There were 70 people in attendance. Families also enjoyed the DJ, food and drinks in the cafeteria. The kids danced and tried to jump on beams of light as the colors circled around the room. The children were given the opportunity to color a mural at the event. The mural was later turned into several works of art that is now display at the Connellsville Township site. The remaining clothes and food from the event were donated to Connellsville Ministries and Food Bank.
The event also enabled three children to complete their hearing screening, four to complete the vision screenings and one child to completed lab screens. One family even completed a pre-app for the upcoming year. A big thanks goes out to the parents, staff, DJ, and community representative that helped make the night a success!
