Caring Children Clothing Children (4Cs) was founded in a two-car garage in Monarch Country Club in Palm City, Florida.

Now, twenty-eight years later, the 501(c)(3) has served thousands of Martin County families and has surpassed anything that the couple who started it – Pat and John Reynolds – could have imagined back in 1997.

The Reynolds’ son-in-law had been killed in a car accident, leaving their daughter to raise three small children on her own. 

Fueled by their concern for parents in similar situations who didn’t have the network of support their daughter did, the couple started collecting children’s clothing, moving into their first storefront in Stuart in 1998. 

Two things set 4Cs apart from other nonprofits: the support, financial contributions and thousands of volunteer hours that the Reynolds’ neighbors in Monarch and many others, have given since the beginning and the consistency of having had just one executive director, Gigi Suntum, at the helm for 17 years.

Original board members, Pat & Doug Brimlow and Mike & Judy Tenzyk were part of the volunteer group that were the faces of the 4Cs organization and managed the entire charity for ten years before a full-time executive director position was created.

A key step taken by 4Cs was partnering with Martin County School District to get clothing donation bins placed at schools. 

Volunteers from throughout the community do weekly pick-ups, as well as a multitude of other important jobs.

The first year that the nonprofit was operational, 600 children received clothing.

For the past few years, the number of child visits to the 4Cs store on Jack James Drive has grown to 5,000. Parents can shop for their children at the store up to 3 times each year, once every four months. Recipients must live in Martin County and are generally referred by recognized social service agencies and schools; they may also be self-referred. Eligible children can "shop" at no cost for three outfits and new underwear, socks and shoes. They just need to bring a picture ID, with their Martin County address, or something that has their address on it.

4Cs expanded its services in 2008 when Betty Mulligan, board member and Volunteer Literacy Coordinator, developed a Literacy Program for Martin County schools.

The current Director of Literacy, Lynn Lewis, oversees the program in six elementary schools. Some 35 reading tutors assist and provide reading intervention to 100 at-risk children who attend schools with low standardized testing scores.

An annual golf tournament, and biannual Christmas Cookie Holiday Luncheon help 4Cs fund its outreach programs for the underserved children of the community, most of whom live in Stuart or Indiantown.

In 2020, 4Cs purchased a Mobile Clothing Unit, which allows them to partner with many non-profit organizations and visit families in underserved neighborhoods, who cannot travel to the store. To date, the van has made 167 trips and has served 2387 families (with 5,683 children).

To learn how you can volunteer or support 4Cs, call 772-221-8777 or visit www.4cmartin.org.