Needy Osceola County students getting clothes for cold weather

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Needy Osceola County students getting clothes for cold weather

County News

Friday, 02 November 2012 11:27

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

With this week’s plummeting temperatures, some needy Osceola County students may have gone to school without a jacket or long pants, or had to stay home because they didn’t have appropriately warm clothing.
Area schools and the Education Foundation of Osceola County passed out coats, sweaters, long pants and even shoes to help children whose families may have had to decide between purchasing food or a jacket for the few days a year that even the Sunshine State gets chilly.
“It’s happening all over the district,” Marcie Hill, director of the Foundation’s programs, said. “A lot of our students don’t go to school on cold days. They miss valuable days of school and then they aren’t prepared. Or they’re coming to school in dresses and shorts and then they’re uncomfortable.”
The Education Foundation assists with this need with the Kids Closet, a program designed to provide needy Osceola County students with personal hygiene products and new clothing, free of charge.
Osceola County School District guidance counselors, social workers and Families in Transition liaisons identify students in need of clothing and hygiene items, then “shop” at Kids Closet for the items needed.
“The Kids Closet has been such as resource, supplying coats, heavy sweatshirts and gloves in all sizes for our students in need,” Elizabeth Lane, a district social worker, said. “The clothing goes immediately to the child who, without Kids Closet, may stand shivering on a street corner, early in the morning, waiting on their school bus.”
With more than 2,200 students in Osceola County identified as part of the Families in Transition program, meaning they live in cars, motel rooms or bunked up with other families, and 72 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, the need is evident, Hill said.
She recalled a recent story from a teacher who said a couple of her students had to sit out from recess because it was too cold to go outside without a jacket. Hill also said some students improvise by showing up to school with socks on their hands to shield them from the cold.
“During the fall/winter months, I receive requests from parents indicating the need for warm clothing for their children. They explain their difficulty in making ends meet financially and may not have the extra money for clothing,” Consuelo Ponce-Salmon, a district social worker, said. “The Kids Closet has met this need by providing their children with warm clothing (including) jackets, long pants, jeans, sweaters, scarfs and even hats.”
The Kids Closet is in need of new clothing for boys and girls of all sizes, specifically youth uniform pants, youth sweatshirts and hoodies, jackets, underwear, socks and shoes. Monetary donations can be made through the Foundation’s website www.foundationosceola.org or by calling 407-344-8155.
Parents whose children are in need of clothing should contact their child’s school guidance counselor or social worker for assistance.
Schools are doing their part as well, with many campuses having a clothing closet internally that stocks donated jackets, coats, uniforms and shoes for children in need.
Parkway Middle School in Buenaventura Lakes passed out a number of jackets and sweaters Monday and Tuesday to help shield students from the cold wind, guidance counselor Jannine Martino said.
“We have a washing machine so some of the stuff gets recycled,” she said about students who may have just forgotten their sweater at home or on the bus or clothing turned in to lost-and-found that never gets claimed.
Pam Strickland, guidance counselor at Michigan Avenue Elementary School in St. Cloud, passed out as many as 15 jackets and four pairs of closed-toed shoes since late last week in anticipation of the cold snap.
“I handed out at least a dozen. I’m sure there were lots of kids I haven’t caught. I loan them (the jackets) and if they want to keep them, they can,” she said.
Strickland emails teachers to see if any of their students need warm clothing.
“Typically the littler ones are always the ones in the greatest need,” she said, adding her school had double the number of students identified as eligible for the FIT program this year than last year to 30.
While Michigan Avenue has a close-knit community of parents who donate their time and items to the school’s clothing closet and food pantry, Strickland said they are always in need of additional items.
She said shoes sizes 13-2 and pants sizes 5-8 are in the highest demand. Donations can be dropped off at the school’s front desk.
“It’s very sad; the kids do the best they can,” Strickland said.
Harmony Community School principal Jonathan Davis said his school is pro-active in trying to keep students warm.
“When we have kids that show up (without appropriately warm clothing), we make sure we get them something,” he said.