A Cos Cob nonprofit wants Greenwich neighbors to help make sure kids have access to basic needs.
The Undies Project is launching a month-long "Back to School Starts with the Basics" underwear drive starting Friday, Aug. 21, running through Monday, Sept. 21, to stock its Dignity Drawers program. The initiative places new underwear in school nurses' offices so staff can discreetly help students who have an accident or need a clean pair during the day.
The organization piloted Dignity Drawers last school year at New Lebanon School and Central Middle School. Now it plans to expand the program to schools throughout Greenwich and surrounding communities for the 2026–2027 school year.
"Underwear may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think about what children need at school, but when a child has an accident or needs a clean pair, it becomes incredibly important," executive director and co-founder Laura Delaflor said in a statement reported by Patch. "Dignity Drawers allows school staff to respond immediately and discreetly."
The program also relieves teachers and nurses from buying underwear out of their own pockets.
How to donate
Residents can contribute new, packaged boys' and girls' underwear in a variety of sizes by mailing donations to The Undies Project at 521 E. Putnam Ave., Cos Cob, CT 06807. That address is the organization's headquarters at Diamond Hill United Methodist Church, where it has operated since September 2021.
Monetary donations can be made at the organization's website, theundiesproject.org. Funds raised will go toward purchasing the sizes needed most. All donations must be new and in original packaging.
Roots in Greenwich
Lucy Langley and Laura Delaflor co-founded The Undies Project in 2015 after Langley realized, while volunteering at Neighbor to Neighbor, that underwear was the most under-donated yet most needed item of clothing. The organization became a registered 501(c)(3) in 2016 and distributes to partner organizations serving people who are homeless, in shelters or living on low incomes across Connecticut and New York.
The drive runs a full month. The organization has not yet announced which additional schools will receive Dignity Drawers this fall.
