MONROE, CT — Elisavet “Ellie” Mendez, 13, a Jockey Hollow Middle School eight grader, who was the only elementary school student in town history to be elected as Connecticut’s Kid Governor a few years ago, is serving the public once again.
Mendez organized a winter clothing drive to collect donations of new and gently used coats, hats, gloves and scarves for families in need as the temperature falls.
“I recently heard about the government shutdown and how they stopped SNAP, so poor families are using money for their kids’ clothes on food instead, which leads to kids not having coats, hats and gloves — anything you would need for the colder months,” she said during an interview at Cardsmart in Monroe Friday afternoon. “I just wanted to give back.”
Collection bins are available at Cardsmart, 447 Monroe Turnpike, and at Cruvinel Brothers Training Center, 75 Main St. The drive includes winter clothing for all ages, from children to adults.
Cardsmart’s hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cruvinel Brothers is open daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The collection drive, which will benefit families assisted by the Monroe and Trumbull food pantries, is going on from now until Nov. 29.
“Cruvinel is almost full,” Angelo Mendez, Ellie’s father, said of the collection bin there.
Back to Hartford
Ellie Mendez was elected as Connecticut’s Kid Governor three years ago, when she was a Monroe Elementary School fifth grader. Prior to the win, the statewide election had narrowed the field to 41 finalists across Connecticut.
The Connecticut Kid Governor program is run by the Connecticut Democracy Center, a nonprofit organization. Each candidate makes a video of their platform with an explanation of how they plan to make it work.
Mendez’s platform included initiatives to help students struggling with anxiety and depression.
Mendez recently participated in a Saturday event at Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford. The event included former Kid Governors and their cabinet members, including the six who were in Mendez’s cabinet.
“I met Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas,” she said, adding, “seeing my peers again was nice.”
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Every time I dismay for the future as one of our leaders drags us down another rung on the ladder of decency, an upcoming member of the next governing generation gives me hope.