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Published December 2006
Clothes
for Kids dresses By
Kimberly Hilden Sharie Ennis remembers receiving a call from a single mom whose teenage son was embarrassed to go to school. Money was tight, and the two were sharing the same pair of shoes. Would it be OK, the mother asked, if she dropped by Clothes for Kids to get her son some new shoes?
Ennis suggested the mother bring her son with her. She did, and together, mother and son shopped for his wardrobe, selecting among pants, shirts, sweaters, socks, belts, underwear — and shoes. The total cost at the checkout line: zero dollars and zero cents. But the value inherent in that new wardrobe could be measured in the teenager’s self-esteem, said Ennis, executive director of the nonprofit organization. “If you feel good about the way you look, you’re going to have a better attitude, a better self-esteem,” she said. “We want these kids to have a successful school life and not be mocked.” Since its founding in 1984, Clothes for Kids has helped about 22,000 children across Snohomish County dress for academic success, and Ennis has been at the helm from the beginning. “It has truly become a project of passion for a number of people,” Ennis said, noting that some of the group’s 35 regular on-site volunteers have been involved with Clothes for Kids for a decade or more. The Lynnwood-based organization serves:
The program operates from mid-August through mid-June, with Clothes for Kids providing a full wardrobe for each child twice a year: once for fall/winter and again for spring/summer. Last year, Clothes for Kids served 1,700 children, providing 2,200 wardrobes of clothing, said Ennis.
“We have new and used clothing items. The underwear and socks are all new. We try to have at least 50 percent of the shoes be new,” said Ennis, adding that for the past three years, Clothes for Kids has been the beneficiary of local Rotary sponsorship in Operation Warm, a national program that provides new coats to disadvantaged children. This year, Clothes for Kids has received 430 new coats thanks to Rotary groups and Operation Warm, Ennis said. Last year, the group received nearly 500 new coats. “We just feel really, really lucky to have that kind of support,” said Ennis, whose organization has received support from such organizations as the Boeing Bluebills and Kiwanis as well as Rotary. Clothes for Kids clients shop at the store on a first-come, first-served basis. When families arrive, they are given a basket with shopping instructions. The clothing racks are labeled with item limits, and the store is divided by gender. There is an infant/toddler section as well as co-ed clothing racks or shelves for items such as sweatshirts, Ennis said. “We give them about 40 minutes to shop so that we can accommodate as many clients here, up to 12 children at once,” she said, adding that the shop is open three mornings and two evenings a week. “... We recommend parents shop for no more than two kids at a time.” Receiving no state or federal funds, the organization is funded through private grants and donations, Ennis said. Clothes for Kids holds two annual fundraisers: an auction in September and Coins for Kids in March, which gives children in the Edmonds School District an opportunity to donate their pennies, nickels and other coins to help their peers. The group also raises funds throughout the year, taking part in Albertsons’ Community Partnership program, Great Northwest Auctions’ vehicle donation program and Inkjet Frog’s inkjet recycling program, said Ennis, whose organization is active in the South Snohomish County and Greater Edmonds chambers of commerce. Clothes for Kids also is a member of World Vision and receives a quarterly distribution from them, said Ennis, who plans to retire in February after 23 years as head of the organization. For the 2004-05 fiscal year, Clothes for Kids had an operating budget of $488,238. Of that, $75,238 was cash, with the rest donated in-kind service, volunteer hours, and new and “like new” clothing and shoes. “We have a lot of support in the community, and that’s how we exist,” Ennis said. |
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©
2006 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA
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