Clothing requests for needy students on rise

Karen Borges held up a stack of papers in the Clothing Our Kids office, all requests for back-to-school clothing from school counselors and teachers.

She said there were more than 50 orders for shirts, pants, shoes and accessories for children in need, and school hasn’t even started yet. 

“Most of [the children] are homeless. They’re in hotels. I hope not in tent cities,” Borges said.

Borges is one of many volunteers who has been working tirelessly all summer to fill orders from Sussex County schools.

Bob Blouin, Clothing Our Kids president, said the work has been nonstop.

“Our volunteers are mostly retired. We kind of take the summer off; not this year,” Blouin said. “We usually don’t fill orders until kids are back in school, so this is unprecedented.”

The Millsboro-based nonprofit buys brand-new clothes and accessories to distribute to pre-K, kindergarten, Head Start, elementary and middle schools. It also serves Cape Henlopen, Sussex Central and Woodbridge high schools. 

Clothing Our Kids plans to add two more high schools next year, with a goal of serving every public and private school in the county.

Teachers and counselors submit orders for the students whom they identify as being in need.

“We know they have emergency funds for food and shelter, but not for clothing,” Blouin said. “We’re constantly reminding them not to take money out of their own pockets. Let us take care of the kids’ clothing needs.”

“Each order gets a week’s worth of clothes: three pairs of pants, five shirts, socks, underwear, shoes if they request, hoodies and pajamas,” Borges said. “That pile of papers all got those clothes.”

Cape High turned to Clothing Our Kids for help at the end of last school year. Staff needed T-shirts for spirit day, white dresses for graduation and more.

“There was a boy who was homeless and wanted to go to the prom. Obviously, he didn’t have anything to wear. We found him something he could wear to prom and graduation and a job interview,” Borges said.

“They are over the moon getting these clothes,” Blouin said. “Most schools have a closet with used clothing and shoes. But I know when I was in high school, I paid attention to what I wore, and it wasn’t somebody else’s shoes.”

Clothing Our Kids buys only brand-new clothing from retail stores. It does not accept used clothing donations.

All of the items are stored at its volunteer center on Route 24.

Borges organizes the shelves that are full of brand-new blue jeans, shirts and shoes. There is a separate room for underwear and socks. Another room is filled with adult clothes. 

The organization spent $230,000 buying clothes in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30. That was 53% more than was spent in 2023.

“Thankfully, our donations were over budget as well,” said Mike Wezel, Clothing Our Kids treasurer. 

Clothing Our Kids’ main fundraiser is its annual golf tournament, which will be held Monday, Oct. 14, at Peninsula Golf and Country Club.

Wezel said it is vital that the fundraiser is financially successful to cover the extra spending that will be needed for the high school program.

Clothing Our Kids recently dedicated its volunteer center to Guy Borges, Karen Borges’ husband, who died this year. The new sign also honors Mary Rio, who founded Clothing Our Kids in 2012.

For more information on how to donate, go to clothingourkids.org.