KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A new school year is fast approaching in Knox County, and as students pack their bags with papers and pencils, some families may be unable to ensure students have school clothes.
The Knox County Schools Clothing Center hopes to provide those children with clothes. The center gives school-appropriate clothing to public school students in Knox County whose families have financial needs. The students' schools need to declare they are eligible to participate in the program as well.
The center said it serves more than 2,000 students and distributes more than 60,000 pieces of clothing every year.
To connect with the center, families need to contact their child's school to get a clothing card. The card needs to be filled out by a school administrator. They then need to call the Clothing Center, specifically on a Thursday, to schedule an appointment to get clothes.
The center can be reached at 865-594-3791 and appointments are given first-come, first-served. Answering machines give information about scheduling after slots for the upcoming week are filled. The appointments are 20 minutes long per child.
Families then need to bring clothing cards and a form of identification to their appointment. Children can be seen twice during the school year, or once per semester. Families need to get a new clothing card from their school each time.
The KCS Clothing Center serves children on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Children can get up to two pairs of pants, at least one shirt, several pairs of socks, several pairs of underwear and some gently-used items during their appointment. the number of new and used items is determined by both availability and dress code requirements.
The center is located at 1000 N. Central St., Suite 7.
