Backyard Hope, a partnership with the City of Utica Youth Bureau, hosted a Community Closet Free Shopping Day on Saturday, Nov. 22, offering local families access to clothing, hygiene products and other essential items at no cost.
The event took place from 9 – 11 a.m. at the Parkway Recreation Center. Community members of all ages were invited, whether they needed support or were looking for a way to give back.
Backyard Hope is a nonprofit agency founded by Utica native Danielle Padula. The organization works closely with local schools and community groups to support youth and families in meaningful, everyday ways. While much of their focus is on at-risk youth and underserved families, their mission is built on the belief that every child in the community deserves to feel included and supported.
Backyard Hope helps connect kids to mentors, friends, sports, arts, and activities that spark confidence and curiosity, creating spaces where young people can grow and truly feel like they belong. They also work hard to remove the barriers many families face by providing clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, food, and other essentials.
“The more agencies and youth I’m involved with, I see that there’s a bigger need, you know, just outside of the Utica area, so that was one of the main reasons why I really started this, not this many,” Padula said.
This semester, Professor Rosemary Bonacci’s Event Planning and Campaigns class worked with Backyard Hope, implementing different public relations tactics to promote the Community Closet Day and the organization as a whole to spread awareness and help the organization grow. The class volunteered on Nov. 22 and helped the community pick out clothing and essentials.
Volunteer Alexis Cooper said she liked how this organization helps the community with no questions asked.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of help you need or why you need help. The organization puts community members first,” said Cooper, who is a Utica resident.
Another volunteer, Danielle Lewis, said Danielle Padula does a great job getting people in the community involved and encouraging them to show up and help each other out.
“It’s just nice seeing the kids run around here,” Lewis said. “A little boy got his Christmas concert outfit. I am just so happy to help out with everything.”
Padula, who is a Utica School Board member and executive director of Broadway Utica, said the more agencies and youth organizations she becomes involved with shows her that there is a bigger need in the Utica area and surrounding communities.
“I just love that people keep coming back and they trust the products that we put out,” she said. “We would only put out the best for them and they know that we are a resource. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising and we’re all volunteer based, so I just love to see that there is a turnout.”
A variety of donations are needed, such as non-perishable food items, hygiene products that are distributed weekly through various school districts and nonprofit agencies and new or gently used clothing.
Anyone interested in donating or learning more about Backyard Hope should visit backyardhope.org or drop off clothing and other items at 1557 Steuben St., Utica.
