KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Just a few days into the school year, Knox County Schools said 108 students so far stopped by their Clothing Center to get some of the essentials.
The KCS Clothing Center is meant to provide school-appropriate clothing for students who may not be able to afford them and who were declared eligible by their school. People can donate used clothing of all sizes or give money to help the center continue providing clothes.
They said they currently serve around 2,000 students and usually give more than 60,000 pieces of clothing over the year. However, they also give out other kinds of essentials to help families make sure students are comfortable over the school year.
Closet coordinators said Thursday they needed more donations to support the number of students seeking help.
"They can drop off donations of backpacks or toiletries," said Rebecca Blevins, the KCS donations coordinator. "It doesn't have to be new, just drop it off at our location. We have donation barrels outside of our office."
Getting help from the center takes a few steps. First, families need to contact the school that their student attends to get a clothing card. The card needs to be completed by a school administrator.
Then, they need to call the Clothing Center on a Thursday to schedule an appointment. Then, families just need to arrive at their scheduled time with the clothing card and some form of identification.
Children can be seen two times during the school year, or once per semester. They must get a new clothing card from the school each time, and clients are only served on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is located at 1000 North Central Street, Suite 7.