Clothes To Kids - United Way Agency of the Week

Clothes To Kids is a non-profit 501c3 charity with a mission to provide new and quality used clothing free of charge to school-age young people who are referred by the school system of Haywood County as eligible because of their families’ income level. We want every school-age young person to attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success! The shop for clothes for these children was opened in the Fall of 2013 serving K -12 grades. For them, it is just like walking into a clothing store to go through the racks of clothes to find new outfits for school. They may try on as many pieces of clothing that they find suitable, and are able to walk out with 3 total wardrobes comprised of 3 tops, 3 bottoms, a dress for girls, sweater, jacket or coat depending on the season, 3 pairs of new socks 3 new underwear pieces, a pair of shoes and 3 accessories if we have them. The great thing is, they can shop 2 times a year in Spring and in Fall. We are an all volunteer group, from management on down to specialists, who work with each child when they arrive, helping them choose their wardrobe pieces. We cannot mention names or show pictures of Clothes To Kids clients, but we daily and weekly hear words of gratitude from those we serve. A couple made a point to tell our volunteer helping that day that they did not know how they would provide for their children’s school clothes if it weren’t for Clothes To Kids. Another Mother came in with her high school son after having to leave another state with no possessions. They found what they needed for him to start back to school. There have even been families who paid it forward by bringing back clothes that the children had outgrown. Especially, at this back to school time, we have been blessed with a huge donation of shoes from another community partner, the First United Methodist Church’s parishioners. Attached is a picture of just some of the shoes that will go to the kids coming to the shop in the next several months. Clothes To Kids has been a United Way Agency since 2015 when our first grant request was approved. Funding from that grant and every year since has been used to pay for rent which frees up valuable money to spend on purchasing clothes that must be new or where we need to fill in for sizes that were not donated. We are so thankful for the United Way support for infrastructure, so that we can use all of our money for the children who need the clothes and shoes. If you know of a family that needs help, please have them contact the school system and they will be told of the appointment making process. Find us at 177 Weldon Way #2, Lake Junaluska, NC – Call us 828.456.8990 – Find us on Facebook through Clothes To Kids of Haywood County and check out our website at www.clothestokidshaywood.org