IFD Hosts Clothe-A-Child Event, Kicks Off Fill The Bell Program

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indianapolis firefighters spent Saturday morning celebrating an early Christmas with 40 area children, as part of the annual IFD Clothe-A-Child program. IFD says firefighters and the children ate breakfast cooked by firefighters, shopped for clothes and visited Santa. Each year as part of this IFD program, children in need of assistance are assigned an IFD Firefighter who helps them shop for a warm coat, clothes for school and new shoes for winter, IFD says.

According to a release, the day began with the children arriving at Indianapolis Firefighters Local 416 Union Hall at 7 a.m. where they were given breakfast, then boarded buses after they ate. The buses were donated by Sodrel Transportation Group/Free Enterprise and took the group to Castleton Square Mall where they shopped at Sears Department Store, who opened their doors early for the group to shop, IFD says.

IFD says about $10,000 was spent outfitting the 40 children, who returned to Union Hall once shopping was over, where they visited with Santa and opened a gift.

This program is funded by donations through gifts with the Fill the Bell Program, which firefighters are now conducting Dec. 9 through 23, which will help fund next year's Clothe-A-Child event. IFD says firefighters can be found “standing the bell” at both at Circle Center Mall (3rd Floor) and Castleton Square Mall (Macy’s) from 10 am to 8 pm daily. IFD asks community members to please stop by and say hello to your IFD Firefighters and help next year’s children with your spare change.

IFD says many of the firefighters were joined at the Clothe-A-Child Program event Saturday by their families, teaching their own children the value of helping others, especially during the holidays. IFD was very pleased to have the assistance of students from the IPS Arsenal Tech Fire Rescue School Magnet program also helping with the event for the fourth straight year.

Photo credit: Indianapolis Fire Department