By Deanna Lampasona
Clothes to Kids, a non-profit organization, is working to clothe all Tampa Bay children and acts as a complementary clothing store for money-insecure families.
Run mostly by volunteers, Clothes to Kids has been giving low-income and in crisis school-age children access to full wardrobes for over 17 years. Since its initial opening in 2003, Clothes to Kids has now expanded to three locations across Hillsborough and Pinellas County and has provided clothing free of charge to more than 129,000 families.
With a mission to provide new and used quality clothing to all those in need, Clothes to Kids has a system in place to ensure the clothing is put on hold for these families. The requirement to shop is either a referral from an approved agency or proof of free or reduced lunch from a school. Once the shopper receives approval, they can call to make an appointment and proceed to shop at any of the four locations.
The store hours are Monday through Saturday, appointment times running until 11:30 a.m. Each family can receive a complete wardrobe for their children, some being eligible to shop twice in a 12-month period. Shoppers can also choose from the extensive uniform section provided and swap out regular shirts or bottoms for uniform items.
In 2019 alone, Clothes to Kids distributed 12,134 wardrobes and 267,000 general clothing items to children across Tampa Bay.
Volunteers are the soul of Clothes to Kids. On a monthly average, volunteers dedicate 1,300 hours of their time to changing the lives of families, one wardrobe at a time. Each person that walks through the Clothes to Kids doors is treated like family.
Long-term volunteer Bev Tannenbaum said working for the organiztion is exciting.
“When I get to walk through those doors in the morning, it’s the best part of my entire day,” Tannenbaum said. “Every day I am not here, I just cannot wait to come in.”
Clothes to Kids privately receive funds within the Tampa Bay community, with 88 percent of expenditures going to the continuation and improvement of the program. For every dollar donated, 88 percent goes to clothing a child.
The organization hosts several annual events to aid in expanding donations, including underwear and shoe collections. Additionally, the organization holds a Clothes Matter luncheon, an event that helps the organization attain sponsorships. Clothes to Kids works entirely off of these donations, the proceeds put toward buying new clothing items and necessary undergarments for their customers.
Clothes to Kids takes pride in giving back to those even outside of their organization. When socks are needed, they often purchase Bombas Socks: a sock brand that donates their product to homeless people for every pair purchased. Clothes to Kids has purchased over 50,000 pairs of Bombas Socks for their shoppers–giving a new meaning to the gift that keeps on giving.
Volunteer Janie Berell says she gladly spends most of her time at their store:
“It’s a feel-good place. You open the door and you instantly feel good.”
Visit its website to find ways to donate and the referral process. For any additional questions, call 727-441-5050 or email: inspire@clothestokids.org.
