| Roemeo Pierson loves
wearing his Nike warm-up suit and tennis shoes.
The warm-up was a birthday present; the shoes were a gift
from his grandma. The
little three-year-old
Sister Berta
Sailers says, “Some children come to school without socks or
underwear, others wear the same outfit for a week.
It really breaks your heart.”
That’s why Operation Breakthrough set up a clothes closet
for both children and parents 20 years ago.
People donate about 10 bags of used clothing per day.
The children’s clothing is sorted and given to the families
most in need. Sister
Berta says, “The adult clothing is placed on tables in the
hallway. It is almost
always gone by the end of the day.
Having decent clothing to wear is important for both the
children and their parents. It
boosts their self-confidence and helps them succeed.
I’m glad we can help, but I wish we could do more.”
Soon, Sister Berta’s wish will come true, thanks to four
organizations led by Together, United Way, Prudential Financial, Heart to Heart and Gifts in Kind International are launching a new clothing program that will bring at least $1.5 million worth of new clothing into the community per year to help low income Kansas City area families. It will be high quality men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing from retailers and manufacturers like the GAP, Banana Republic, Nike, Haggar, Sears, Haines, Avon and other major companies. The donated items
will include overstocks, unclaimed orders and out-of-season fashions
solicited by Gifts in Kind International.
The apparel is being shipped to Heart of America United Way,
which is partnering with Heart to Heart International to store the
clothing in its warehouse and distribute it to nonprofit agencies
serving the poor. The local investment is less than $100,000 per year to bring $1.5 million of new clothing annually into our community. The program will work much the way Harvesters distributes food, only instead of working with soup kitchens and food pantries, the Prudential: Partners to Clothe a Community program will work with local nonprofits that have established clothes closets and emergency assistance programs serving low income clients…like the one at Operation Breakthrough. Sister Berta
can’t wait for the program to start.
She says, “We’re very grateful for all the used clothing
donations we receive every day, but this new
clothing will mean a lot to our working mothers and children who are
self conscience about their appearance.
They really don’t want to wear someone’s old
underwear.”
Roemeo’s mother agrees saying, “It’s important for my kids and our entire family. You really need something nice to wear if you’re going on a job interview. I have skills, but I don’t have slacks or dresses appropriate for work. I don’t want to be on welfare the rest of my life.” Giving people a
chance is what the new |
As
a single mother, Latasha Rice is struggling to make ends meet.