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Devereux awarded $35,000 grant for emergency clothing for youth 

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health was recently awarded a $35,000 grant to purchase emergency clothing for children and adolescents at its centers in the Philadelphia region.  

The grant, from the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust, will be used to purchase emergency clothing, uniforms and gift cards for essential clothing for more than 1,000 youth with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences served by Devereux Pennsylvania’s Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS) center and Devereux Pennsylvania’s Children’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services (CIDDS) center.  

“I want to thank the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust for awarding us this extremely generous grant,” said Devereux Pennsylvania CBHS Executive Director Patricia Hillis-Clark, Psy.D. “Many of the children and adolescents we serve walk through our doors with little more than the clothes on their backs. These funds will enable us to provide our youth with appropriate, clean and properly-fitting clothing to ensure their basic needs are met, while helping them feel comfortable and supported.” 

Dressed for success

Clothing will be distributed to youth through emergency clothes closets and supervised online shopping, while gift cards will be given to Devereux Pennsylvania’s community-based outpatient services team and foster care families to purchase clothing.  

“When our youth receive clothing that fits and looks nice – this has a profound impact on their overall health and well-being,” said Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS Executive Director Carol Anne McNellis, Psy.D. BCBA. “We have noticed a significant improvement in the attitudes of those in our care, as well as increased feelings of self-worth and self-esteem when they are wearing clothes that are not tattered or torn. We also have seen fewer behavioral issues (among peers) over clothing.” 

About the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust

The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation established by William Wikoff Smith in 1977 to make grants in the greater Philadelphia region to support basic needs, higher education scholarships, maritime education, and medical research primarily for heart disease, cancer and AIDS.

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