A different kind of ‘shopping’ for homeless children in Monticello

Posted Friday, December 26, 2025 6:10 am

In The Sullivan County Democrat

Contributed story from Wolf Lake Neighbors Foundation

Homeless children have a new place to “shop” for books, learning games, toys, and necessities like toothbrushes: a classroom in a Monticello elementary school, where teachers bring them one by one to choose from among items donated by the Wolf Lake Neighbors Foundation.

The items, with a retail value of about $3,500, were donated directly to the foundation by anonymous donors who are known as the “Reverse Porch Pirates,” because they quietly drop off packages at the porch of one of the Wolf Lake group’s founders. Additional supplies, including crayons, pencils and puzzles, are purchased with funds donated through the website or by mail.

Each child got a recyclable shopping bag and could pick from the items displayed on tables. Some pupils were very shy and weren’t quite sure how to respond but some were obviously very happy. One little boy said, “Wow! This is like my school birthday!”

The project started in August 2025, when Don Kennedy and Jean Eifert of the Wolf Lake Neighbors Foundation met with Ginny Gallet, the principal of the George L. Cooke Elementary School, which has an enrollment of nearly 600 in pre-kindergarten through second grade. Many are needy and some are homeless; most are not proficient in math and English and could make excellent use of learning materials, and personal care items.

The children got Legos, which are excellent for developing eye-hand coordination in this age group, a yo-yo, a model airplane, a few books, a first aid kit and other items.

The foundation also uses the donations to stock “care closets” at Cooke and the Kenneth L. Rutherford School, which serves students in grades three through five. These are cabinets that hold socks, underwear, sweatpants, shampoo and other personal care items; teachers dispense items from the closets to kids in need. Among the challenges for poor families with working parents is finding time to go to the laundromat. The foundation is also working to establish a way to donate payment cards for use at laundromats.

The foundation is a 401 c (3) tax deductible charity. For every dollar donated, 95 cents goes directly in aid. The foundation also sponsors literacy programs at Sullivan County libraries, and a scholarship to allow a graduate of a two-year college to go on to a SUNY campus and get a four-year degree.

The foundation is grateful to the individuals and businesses that have donated to make its programs possible.