Longview ISD’s Johnson-McQueen Elementary recently launched a closet that provides free uniforms and shoes to students in need.
Physical education teacher Rochelle Northcutt thought of the concept during May of last year after seeing a need in her classroom.
“So many of my kids will come through the gym and wouldn’t have a good pair of shoes. Most of them were either too big or too small and they would come and ask me for shoes. They’re either falling apart or they didn’t have shoe laces, and they were wearing their parents’ shoes that were way too big for them,” she said. “I didn’t have anything for them, so it wrenches your heart when you can’t buy that. I had the idea and wanted to see if there was a way to start a shoe closet so that every child that needed a pair of shoes in our school would have access to be able to get a pair of shoes.”
Andrew Sanders, Communities in Schools site coordinator at Johnston-McQueen who is a dropout prevention specialist and social worker for the campus, said the closet has been open just over one week and is meeting those needs.
Sanders said a lot of times a student might not be able to afford new clothing items that follow the district dress code.
“There are folks that after a polo gets snagged in the playground and tears or the knees get ripped out or the soles come out of the shoes, they can’t just get out and buy a whole new wardrobe for their children unexpectedly. That is a big cost, especially since we have uniforms throughout the Longview school district,” Sanders said.
“We wanted to do was just figure out a way to meet that need, to take that burden out of that family and take any shame about the fact that a student may have one polo, and that’s the only polo that Mom and Dad were able to provide, there’s no shame to that but that is something that if we gather the resources we could help alleviate.”
He mentioned that since school began, the closet has been an outlet for students especially to those who are new to the district and haven’t started school because of the lack of funds for uniforms.
“They (parents) weren’t able to provide enough uniforms for their students to actually begin school and the kids are ready to start school, but they need uniforms to be allowed on campus as registered students. So we have been able to gather supplies, uniforms specifically, and send them to those families to let those kids start school. It’s been a beautiful thing to see,” he said.
The closet shares its resources, which are mostly donated by community members, with students from other LISD campuses.
Gwen Seivley, Longview community member, has made several donations to the closet. As a daycare owner, she sees the need to assist with the program.
“I just have a heart for children, and being in the daycare business you naturally see the needs that children have and their parents that are struggling and realize they need help from time to time,” she said.
Seivley said simple things such as shoes and uniforms are often overlooked but can be such a need for students, especially with daily confidence.
“We tend to believe that all children have new shoes to start school, and for some it is just a dream and we’re trying to make that dream come true. In the past there have been children wearing shoes that don’t fit and shoes with duct tape holding them together. We want to change the past to help children feel good about themselves and stay in school,” she said. “Simple things such as a uniform or a pair of shoes could change the direction of a child’s life.”
Currently the closet consists of uniform items such as different colored polo shirts, skorts, pants, and shorts of all sizes. Shoes are also a huge part of the closet along with a few different items such as backpacks.
Sanders said people are welcomed to donate whatever they please, even with money donations which assist when a student is in need of certain items that the closet may not have, such as particular sizes of clothes.
Donations are made into CIS, which makes it tax deductible, he said. Items can be new or slightly used.
He also said they’re in search of community members who are willing to assist with other needs that are seen or can be future needs for local students.
In order to benefit from the closet or to donate to the closet, you can contact Sanders at the campus office number (903)803-5300 or his direct line (903)803-5380. You can also email him at cisjmcqueen@lisd.org. Donations can also be given to Northcutt, who recommends reaching her at the campus office number of Johnston McQueen, (903) 663-2125.
Northcutt considers the closet a blessing to the district and hopes to continue expanding the services throughout the upcoming years for students.
“We’re all in this together and trying to make it better for all the kids and community. It’s truly a team effort,” she said. “If you haven’t stepped foot in here, it’s a family, and everybody takes care of everybody. And everybody’s watching out for everyone … If there’s a need we step up and help each other.”