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School Clothes
For Kids
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Shopping for school clothes can give some parents the summertime blues. But there’s one place children can go to look their best, and their parents don’t have to worry about the bills. Heidi Robinson reports. |
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SCRIPT:
(Locator: Oklahoma City, Okla.)
It’s a popular place for back-to-school shopping.
Nat with shopper: “Do you know, like, about what size you wear? Yes.
Yes? Okay, let’s go. Let’s go shopping!”
This store stocks over 100,000 dollars worth of brand-new clothes for
kids.
Nat with shopper: “Want to try those on? Yes. Alright.”
Nat shopper: “Look at this.’
But what you won’t find here are price tags or cash registers.
Imogene Bates/Skyline Urban Ministry: “One little boy said, ‘I’ve never
had pants feel this rough before’ – because they were new and they were
a little bit stiff. And I said, ‘Well, you know, they’re brand new.’ And
he said, ‘I’ve never had new ones before.’”
Nat shopper: “This shirt.”
Clothes for Kids has been growing for three decades. It’s run by
Skyline Urban Ministry in Oklahoma City and supported by
United Methodist churches, to help inner-city families make ends meet.
Alicia Escamilla/Parent : “This year was kind of tough, so we weren’t
going to be able to buy any school clothes. So this was going to be the
only school clothes that the girls got.”
The program started helping one child from a nearby elementary school.
Nat with shopper: “Socks, check. Shoes, check.”
Now, Clothes for Kids helps 1,500 kids every year.
James McCrory/13-year-old: “I won’t get made fun of because I have shoes
and old stuff that doesn’t fit me.’
Brandon Rogers/16-year-old: “Makes me feel nice. Makes me feel, I don’t
know, make me feel good inside.”
And new clothes can mean more than “looking” good.
Imogene Bates/Skyline Urban Ministry: “Their heads are held high and
they’re smiling and glad to be at school. And it helps them in their
schoolwork.”
Nat little boy: “I happy!”
TAG:
One church alone raised more than $26,000 for the Clothes for Kids
program. Skyline Urban Ministry also operates a year-round Clothes
Closet for adults.
For more information about Skyline Urban Ministry, visit their website
at
http://www.skylineurbanministry.org.