Volunteers needed at organization giving school clothes to kids

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As kids across Florida get back into classrooms, families on tight budgets are getting some help with back-to-school clothes shopping thanks to a group of volunteers with Clothes To Kids. 

Looking around this store you would think it would cost a pretty penny to shop at the Clothes To Kids store. 

"We're exactly like a clothing store," said Jennifer Jacobs, executive director of Clothes To Kids. "The only thing that makes us different is when the families come and shop with us, they get to select their week's worth of school clothes free of charge, and they're allowed to shop twice in a calendar year as well." 

Clothes to Kids is free for students on free or reduced lunch at school. 

"It's a pair of shoes, five new pairs of socks, five new pairs of underwear, four bottoms, five tops," said Jacobs. "A dress is optional if the child would like a dress. And as we have bras available, they can get up to two of those and then find accessories as we have those available as well."

Jacobs says they need the community's help in order to fulfill their mission.

"We are busy and we are in need of volunteers because we cannot do this mission because our volunteers shop alongside our families and help them pick their week's worth of school clothes for their children. And they help us sort and they help us tag. And basically we need volunteers to continue to run smoothly."  

Volunteers like Diane Slakter, who has been with the non-profit for three years. 

"It's totally rewarding, especially when you see the kids looking at things and they find things that that they want to wear to school," Slakter said.

Jacobs says they need help with donations too. 

"Just today is our 12th shopping day of the month of August, and we have already served and provided more than 1,600 wardrobes to children in our community."   

Clothes to Kids is helping students look good and helping their self-esteem so that they can have a successful school year.

For information on the mission and how to help, visit www.ClothesToKids.org.