In early December of 2020, as people were looking to connect again after COVID experience, Jacqueline Ford, the community outreach specialist for the Connecticut Department of Children and Family, said she was receiving a lot of requests to donate to children and families across the state.
“I happened to be in Somerset Square in Glastonbury Shopping Center, and I saw a lot of vacancies, and I called the number to see if they would gift me the space for the holiday season. They said yes right away. That’s when we started,” said Ford, who has been with DCF for 33 years.
That was the beginning of The Olive Branch, a brick-and-mortar location open to families receiving DCF services to do holiday “shopping” for free. Ford said rather than delivering the toys to families, she thought it would be a nice idea for the families to come in and shop and wrap toys and gifts for their children and leave the store with dignity to “create that Christmas joy for their own child.”
The Olive Branch has since relocated to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, located at 915 Main St. in Glastonbury. The church has four total rooms that are completely filled with brand new toys. The store is stocked by charitable events that collect unwrapped toys, two of which are happening this week.
On Wednesday, Southington High School senior Reilly Bard is hosting a Winter Fest at the school that will include a toy drive from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Ford said she’s known Bard, 16, since she was a fifth grader in the Kid Governor Cabinet. She said her platform was “having safe and inclusive places for foster kids to each lunch at school.”
“Reilly is an exceptional teenager and is an old soul,” Ford said.
This is the third year that Bard has run Winter Fest and has donated to The Olive Branch through her DECA club at Southington High School. Bard said she has two family members who were in foster care and ended up in loving homes.
“I wanted to combine my love for both of my organizations and clubs that I was a part of, so I came up with Winterfest, which is a festival style event that invites elementary school kids and their families to come to the high school and participate in winter-themed events and all the booths are run by clubs and sports teams at the high school,” Bard said.
Bard said the event has averaged about 200 attendees for the last two years and has raised $1,000 each year and collected 200 toys.
“Everything that I raise goes back to Jackie and The Olive Branch,” Bard said. “Jackie is amazing and has been my mentor. I’ve looked up to her since the day I met her. I wrote my college letter about her and The Olive Branch and how much it has changed me.
“The first year I dropped off the toys I stayed and helped parents shop and look around (at The Olive Branch),” she added. “The fact that I helped parents give kids gifts under their Christmas tree this year opened my eyes. It is so meaningful to me to help other families.”
Bard is asking for those attending to bring an unwrapped toy or donate $10 per child. She said Winter Fest will have 25 booths for children in the school’s cafeteria which will include cookie decorating, ornament making and pictures with Santa. Elementary school children are asked to wear their favorite holiday pajamas.
On Thursday, Branford real estate agents Lisa Liscio and Kelley Vanacore are running their fifth annual toy drive at the Bistro Mediterranean & Tapas Bar in East Haven. Both Liscio and Vanacore work for Century 21 All-Points Realty. Darius Texeira, a product of foster care, is the toy drive’s social media manager. Liscio said this year the goal is 3,000 toys. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at 383 Main Street in East Haven. Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy to the event.
Ford said she met Liscio about eight years ago. At that time, Ford was collecting teddy bears for National Adoption Day and the DCF gave teddy bears to all children being adopted and Liscio began donating teddy bears. But eventually it expanded to donating to The Olive Branch.
Ford said the State Department of Public Health and other state agencies also donate toys. A Bank of America executive who was previously in foster care also donates lots of toys.
Ford said a total of seven drives, many during the holiday season, sustain The Olive Branch throughout the year.
“Jackie told me last year they had about 2,000 kids in the system and this year she told me it’s over 3,000,” Liscio said. “We are hoping for a little more support this year to get 3,000 gifts to give. … Jackie has told me that there’s a lot of need for laptops and phone covers and iPads and stuff like that.”
Liscio said this cause has been important to her.
“I never had children of my own and I used to own a bridal salon and two of the women that worked at DCF had gotten their dresses through me and I had gotten close to them,” Liscio said. “I expressed that I always wanted to have children or be a foster parent, but I didn’t feel like I could really do it on my own. This was a way of giving back to the children.”
Liscio said many people, including organizations and private donors, are happy to help.
“The Olive Branch is a very engaging way for the families to come and shop for their kids. This is a dignified way for parents to shop for their children,” Liscio said. “It creates a great holiday for children and their families. Jackie Ford is the real hero here. She’s a true inspiration. In her more than 30 years with DCF she has really made a difference.”
Ford said the toy drives help sustain The Olive Branch all year long.
“Families shop all year long for birthdays, different religious milestones or just because. They come in and shop. No money is exchanged and all of the items we have here are donated through people in the community or toy drives.”
Norwich resident Debra Franklin is a single mother and said three of her four children were in foster care. She said she “shops” for her children at The Olive Branch for back to school and for Christmas. She has two 6-year-old twin girls as well as a 15-year-old and a 22-year-old.
“The Olive Branch is so much more than getting free things,” Franklin said. “I could probably speak for a lot of parents. We have struggled financially. We’ve been through a lot. Most likely we have an open case or recently closed case with the DCF. Many of us have experienced some kind of trauma, addiction or domestic violence. For me personally, the branch doesn’t just help by letting you shop for free, but it helps with your dignity and pride. My children don’t know where these things come from. All they know is that mommy made it happen.”
Franklin said she comes from a broken and abusive home and is struggling financially and that The Olive Branch gives her confidence.
“I call Jackie my angel,” Franklin said. “She’s the sweetest, kindest, most supportive person I’ve ever had in my life. Jackie makes magic and she helps me make magic for my children.”
Shopping at The Olive Branch or dropping off a donation is by appointment only. For more information, email Jacqueline Ford at [email protected].