The Depot Gift Shop

Mission: To provide constant financial support to Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc., which is of utmost importance to our volunteers, to offer the opportunity to earn extra income by providing an outlet for the art and handiwork of our crafters, many of whom are senior citizens, and to provide a warm and friendly atmosphere for women to meet and make new friends while feeling a sense of accomplishment through their service to the community.

The Depot was established in 1965 by a small group of volunteers in the baggage room of the Ridgewood Railroad Station. Their mission was to raise funds to benefit Family Counseling Service in Ridgewood, now a division of Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc. After expanding three times, The Depot moved to its present location, a seven-room house in Midland Park, NJ, in 1978. Over the years, the tremendous contribution of both time and talent by hundreds of volunteers has resulted in donations to the agency approaching $3 million. The Depot is a member of the Federation of Woman’s Exchanges and is the largest all-volunteer exchange in the United States.

Our services include:

• A full range of adoption and foster care services for infants, children and teenagers with special needs.
• Support services and community homes for children and young adults with developmental disabilities.
• Safe, supervised housing for pregnant teens and teen moms and their children, as well as education, skills and support services that will enable the teens to become self-sufficient.
• Early childhood education and child care.
• Free nutritional formula and diapers for low-income families.
• Community and school-based prevention and education programs about substance abuse and advocacy for responsive prevention.