About
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.
Children’s Aid and Family Services is one of northern New Jersey’s leading nonprofit providers of human services and child welfare programs. We help children whose families are unable to care for them, and we support children, young adults, the elderly and their families through the everyday challenges and transitions in life.
Since 1899, we’ve been helping the most vulnerable people in our community improve their lives. Our mission is to preserve, protect, and when needed, provide families. Motivated by compassion and in partnership with the community, we make positive lasting differences in the lives of those we serve. Our services include: -A full range of adoption and foster care services for infants, children, and teenagers with special needs -Programs to support youth who have aged out of foster care transition to adulthood and achieve self sufficiency -Support services and community homes for individuals with developmental disabilities -Prevention education programs for children, parents, seniors, and educators to decrease the likelihood of using alcohol and other drugs -Recovery Specialists who guide those addicted to opiates into treatment and provide essential follow-up services -A program providing free infant formula and diapers for babies of working families who meet eligibility requirements
The Federation of Woman’s Exchanges is a national organization that links 15 nonprofit exchanges in 10 states. While each exchange has its own by-laws and does business in different ways, all of them have a common mission of helping deserving consignors and/or handcrafters earn their living by their own industry and/or providing assistance to community charitable organizations through proceeds of shop sales. The Federation’s mission is to provide mutual support and cooperation among its network of members and to provide a way to exchange ideas and business practices.