The annual winter Barrington Giving Day (BGD) event was held on Dec. 14 at Station Middle School. BGD, a non-profit organization, aims to provide local families who qualify for the free or reduced meal program with additional opportunities to shop for clothes and school supplies at no cost.
The clothes and supplies were all donated by the community or bought using money from fundraisers and donations. They went through a selective process of only selecting products up to standard.
BGD strives to provide equal opportunities and give families a true shopping experience. According to their website, barringtongivingday.org, their back-to-school event this year served 352 families. Lisa Horcher, the Barrington Giving Day Club teacher sponsor at the high school, reports that the winter event served a “record-breaking 466 families- including 1093 children.”
BGD supports the community all year round and also encourages participation from other organizations in Barrington.
“The Barrington Junior Women’s Club provides the toys and gifts, the Community meal is on hand to supply food, and Barrington Rotary sends volunteers and this year some local businesses sent a crew of volunteers,” Horcher said.
The organization also offers many volunteer opportunities for students and always needs volunteers. For students looking for leadership opportunities and ways to support and uplift the community, BGD runs a club at the school. The club also hosts many fundraisers throughout the year to help support BGD.
“I get free stuff which is pretty nice. I can get new stuff, and they have a section that gives out toys,” Theo Barvinok, ‘28 says. Barvinok, a beneficiary of the organization and a volunteer and participant of the club, comments on how BGD has impacted him.
“I’ve had a great experience with both sides of it. Since now, it [the back-to-school event] actually takes place in a store, it does feel like a real shopping experience, except you don’t have to pay,” Barvinok says.
Barvinok encourages students to volunteer as well as join the club at the school. The club meets a few times a month on Wednesdays and the organization has volunteer opportunities year-round and, as well as a few huge events for the community annually.
“It makes me feel like a good person. It’s fun to volunteer if you do it with your friends, and even before I needed hours for school, I would still do it,” Barvinok says.
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Julia Tchorz, ‘25, poses next to donated shoes. Tchorz organized over 100 pairs of donated men’s and boy’s shoes in size order on Friday evening in preparation for the Saturday event. Photo by Sabrina Roah, ‘25.
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Theo Barvinok, ‘28, brings donated items to their designated section in the Station Middle School gym, the main location for donated items. Barvinok volunteered and benefited from the event on Saturday. Photo by Hannah Kim, ‘25.
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Viktoria Higgins, ‘25, poses with a donated girls’ winter hat. Winter gear, including hats, gloves and coats made up the largest donation groups, with Higgins sorting over 200 children’s hats on the Thursday before the event. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Jayden Clark, ‘26, Viktoria Higgins, ‘25 and Fire/EMS Chief Scott William Motsi smile for a photo. All three are repeat volunteers and were part of a small group of around 10 who volunteered on Thursday and allowed the Saturday event to run smoother than ever. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Jayden Clark, ‘26, Viktoria Higgins, ‘25 and Fire/EMS Chief Scott William Motsi pack family packets. Each family that signed up for the Barrington Giving Day event was given a number, an identifying lanyard and had the opportunity to provide a wishlist, all of which was organized in a number-corresponding folder. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Aarav Talati, ‘29, organizes boys’ winter hats. Talati and two friends Brody Shecktman, ‘29 and Hayden Wittkopf, ‘29 quality-checked winter clothing and brought in donators’ items on Thursday evening after school. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Viktoria Higgins, ‘25, Aarav Talati, ‘29, Brody Shecktman, ‘29 and Hayden Wittkopf, ‘29 organize donated items into winter hats, winter gloves, toiletries and drawstring bags. The three eighth graders and one high school senior volunteered from 4 pm to 6 pm two days before the event to complete finals tasks. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Alexander Roach, ‘28, drags a cart full of donated shampoo and conditioner to the designated corner of the Station Middle School gymnasium. The largest group of volunteers on Friday evening brought donated items from outside storage containers into the gymnasium in 25 degree weather. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Anika Wadhwa, ‘25 and Olivia Barvinok, ‘25 unload a box of girls’ toys. A large portion of the donations in the Station Middle School gymnasium were toys, organized by the volunteers by age group, and available for attendees to take on Saturday. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Friday evening volunteers wait for more donations to be brought to the Station Middle School cafeteria. Over fifty middle school students volunteered after school to unload donations into the middle school, while 132 total volunteers completed various set-up tasks, including organizing winter coats, opening boxes and setting up display tables. Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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Slippers and boys’ shoes lay orderly on a display table in the Station Middle School cafeteria. The cafeteria served as the main room for winter gear and shoes, though other rooms were also utilized, including the library (donated books) and the gymnasium (assorted toys, toiletries, gifts, blankets, and more). Photo by Sabrina Roach, ‘25.
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