NCJW has established secure emergency closets in seventeen local public elementary schools in which at least 90% of the attending children live at or below the federal poverty level.
Eleven closets are stocked with new girls and boys shorts, pants, sweatshirts, collared shirts, underwear and socks. On request, we provide school supplies and personal care items. Through our partnership with In Jacob’s Shoes, a Margate, FL non-profit, schools are able to obtain free footwear for their students. Selected school personnel distribute these items on an as needed basis: they are able to provide proper clothing in case of in-school accidents, children who come to school with ill-fitting or unclean clothing, and when family crises are brought to their attention. Our goal is to keep children coming to school and focused on learning.
Five closets provide socks and underwear because these schools receive new uniforms from another not for profit Back to Basics.
One additional closet provides socks, underwear and feminine hygiene items for nearly 4000 homeless and foster care children attending school in Palm Beach County. This closet is housed in Lincoln Elementary in Riviera Beach and is run by the Safe Schools Division of the McKinney Vento Program. The feminine hygiene products in this closet are funded by a generous grant from the Quantum Foundation.
Kids Community Closets are currently serving schools with a total enrollment of over 12,500 children. NCJW volunteers serve as liaisons to the schools, checking on inventory needs and working with school personnel to make sure the closet is orderly and properly stocked.
NCJW is grateful for the support we have received from the BallenIsles Charities Foundation, Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle Team, and Quantum Foundation. We welcome additional support as there are always more children in need of our Kids Community Closets.
If you are interested in becoming a KCC volunteer, please contact Sarah Rothschild- KCC@ncjwpalmbeach.org.
