CLEVELAND–It’s crunch time for kids going back to school, but it can put an even bigger crunch on the wallet.
“The past few days have been rambunctious,” said Michelle Smiley of Cleveland. “We’ve been running into different stores, trying to find what uniforms they can wear this year. The difficulty of the expenses of these uniforms now, it’s just like really overwhelming.”
So to make that back-to-school shopping experience a little bit easier, local business have established a Uniforms for Kids program. It provides hundreds of new and used uniforms to area students.
“Parents come in and look in their wallet and see how much money they have,” said Alan Silverman of Silverman’s Discount Department Stores. “Things are very tough now with high gas prices, high unemployment really affecting Cleveland with half of the kids living in the poverty area.”
Alan Silverman started the charity in 1990. Local businesses like Silverman’s Cintas, Handl-it and Thomas Transport all contribute to Uniforms for Kids.
– To donate, bring your old school uniform to any Silverman’s Department Store and you’ll get a voucher for $6 off a new one.
– The charity is also collecting donations, which are matched dollar-for-dollar. Monetary donations may be mailed to: Uniforms for Kids, P.O. Box 22614, Cleveland, OH 44122
– If you can’t afford a uniform, contact your child’s school about whether you’re eligible for a clothing voucher.
“It’s wonderful,” Silverman said. “We’ve actually had people who’ve come in and open their wallets and help people. It’s really heartwarming.”
For more information about Uniforms for Kids, click here.