School Resource Officer Starts Clothing Closet to Help Foster Kids
Heading back to school after the summer break is usually an exciting time for many. But this time of year, can also be nerve-racking for those who might need a little more assistance.
Some members of Oviedo’s community have found a way to bridge that gap to help make the return to school a little smoother for certain students. This comes at a time when Boys Town Central Florida noted an influx of community youth using its services this year.
School Resource Officer, Ashley Pierce launched a community closet that she named “Panther Threads” at the end of last school year, to collect clothing and shoes that will be donated to students who need it most, including homeless youth and those in foster care.
Pierce acknowledges that having access to a fresh set of clothes before the school year is an essential need that can really go a long way.
“I want them to be able to pick out what they want, (what) they feel comfortable and secure in, because if they’re not comfortable and secure then it’s going to make for a hard day,” Pierce said.
She emphasized the importance of letting students pick out their own clothes, rather than handing them a bag of clothing that they “may be too embarrassed to wear.”
“On Monday, we’re going to take that student, let that student come in and pick out whatever they want. It will be during school hours that they can come,” said Pierce.
Executive Director of Boys Town Central Florida, Laurie Stern, says initiatives like Panther Threads help youth in foster care feel like they can fit in.
“They’re all teenagers, they want to belong, they want to fit in, they want to look a certain way, they want to have friends, they want to avoid bullying, so erasing some of that for our youth that are entering foster care is so important as we think about back-to-school,” said Stern.
Stern advocates for community involvement like this since she says it provides a “two-fold” of providing for basic needs, like school supplies and clothing, and providing a necessity for role models.
Check out the full story on Spectrum News.
