Dressing for school just got easier for struggling families
By CONNIE JONES
Published October 25, 2003
Children who qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch in Pinellas County schools have a new place to shop for clothes, and it's free.
All they need is a referral letter from a school counselor or social worker, teacher, principal, caseworker from a county or state social service agency or a clergy member.
Children can bring the letter to Clothes to Kids, a nonprofit store set up just like a boutique, and pick out five outfits, including new underwear, socks or shoes.
"We feel like we've been called to do this," said Jode Eye, 46, of Countryside, the group's co-founder and executive director of operations.
"Every time we had a huge group of children come in, that much stuff came back in. I can't explain it," said Marie McClung, 46, of Dunedin, co-founder and executive director of administration.
McClung said an estimated 40,000 of the 140,000 children in Pinellas County schools come from low-income families. In Pinellas elementary schools, according to the most recent state statistics, nearly 45 percent of students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch in the year 2001-02 school year. She said 125 of those students live in homeless shelters in upper Pinellas alone.
Since Clothes to Kids opened its doors June 11, it has provided nearly 1,300 children with 6,365 shirts, 3,523 shorts, 1,791 pants, 5,986 pairs of new underwear, 6,794 pairs of socks, 660 pairs of shoes, 313 skirts, 264 dresses and 57 jackets.
Each child can come to the store twice in 12 months.
Donations of new or high quality used shoes and clothing can be dropped off during business hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and the first Saturday of each month.
In addition, tax-deductible donations can be sent to P.O. Box 184, Dunedin, FL 34697-0184.
Clothes to Kids could also use volunteers to help sort, tag and stock clothing; a computer with enough memory to store records; and an air-conditioned storage space.
