4 Special Volunteers Honored At Sharing Shelf Fall Luncheon In Rye

RYE, NY — The group that we all owe a big 'thank you' to made a point to give its thanks to those who help make its mission possible.

The Port Chester nonprofit that provides clothing to children and teens in need across Westchester County honored four volunteers at its Fall Luncheon in Rye on Oct. 23.

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The Sharing Shelf said Lisa Blau of Armonk, Nicole Allen of New Rochelle, Alicia Ifshin of Armonk and Maria Guarnieri of Rye were recognized at the event, held at the Coveleigh Club. The organization described the four women as quintessential examples of the different ways volunteers support its work.

The luncheon also included a panel discussion with the honorees about volunteering and its role in the nonprofit's mission. The discussion was moderated by Tony Aiello, identified in the release as an Emmy Award-winning reporter for CBS News New York.

The Sharing Shelf, founded in 2009, operates a warehouse in Port Chester where new and gently used clothes are collected, screened for quality and distributed at no cost to low-income children and teens through schools, social-service agencies and other nonprofits. The organization said it also opened a Teen Boutique next to the warehouse in 2024, giving referred teens a private setting where they can select clothing at no cost.

Blau is one of the organization's longest-serving volunteers, according to the group. The Sharing Shelf said she first volunteered alongside her children and now works around her schedule to select and pack clothing that children and teens will feel proud to wear.

Allen first became involved through a sorority clothing drive and a Teen Boutique event at New Rochelle High School, according to Sharing Shelf. The organization said she now volunteers weekly by preparing personalized clothing packs and helping teens find outfits.

The Sharing Shelf said Ifshin started as a clothing donor and sometimes volunteers more than 30 hours a week. The organization said she streamlined the nonprofit's baby room and, with her husband, created a five-year matching challenge to help fund new clothing purchases when donations are not enough.

Guarnieri is The Sharing Shelf's longest-serving volunteer, with more than a decade of service, according to the group. The organization said she has taken on roles that include sorting and packing clothing, serving on committees, leading volunteer groups and responding to needs after hours.

"Our volunteers make everything we do at The Sharing Shelf possible," said Deborah Blatt. "Our Fall Luncheon honorees are outstanding in every way, and they are also representative of the more than 800 people who volunteer with us each year, for whom we are enormously grateful."

The Sharing Shelf said it fulfilled clothing requests in 2025 for 9,134 children and teens from 145 nonprofits, schools and government agencies. The organization said it depends on more than 800 unique volunteers each year to fill more than 2,100 volunteer slots, providing more than 5,500 total hours of support.