With winter in full swing, the need for high-quality, seasonally appropriate clothing for school-aged children remains as urgent as ever. In Arlington, one community-driven effort is stepping up to meet the challenge.
The Clothesline for Arlington Kids was founded in 2017 by Ellen Moy and Ben Sessions, who recognized the gap in year-round availability of clothing for low-income families.
Shopping with dignity
The mission of the nonprofit is to provide free clothing to students in a dignified setting, so they feel comfortable participating in the classroom. Since opening its storefront in 2018, The Clothesline has served more than 3,500 children throughout Arlington County.
“The total population of students receiving free and reduced lunch is about 8,000 kids,” Sessions said. “So, while we’re serving a lot of the need, it’s nowhere near all of the need.”
Qualifying students can shop in-store twice a year, in the spring and fall, and select a full wardrobe to make them feel confident and comfortable.
The wardrobe provided includes:
- Five tops, shirts or blouses
- Four pants, bottoms, skirts or shorts
- Five pairs of new underwear and socks
“The volunteers and staff go through and thoughtfully stock the clothes so that they’re not just in good shape, but something a kid would actually want to wear,” said Sharalyn Hoffman, community outreach director for The Clothesline.
Building confidence, one piece at a time
While the organization’s primary mission is to provide clothing, it also recognizes it’s bigger than just clothes.
“Everybody has been in a situation where they felt like they didn’t belong, and when that happens, it’s hard to focus on class or making friends,” Sessions said.
Unlike typical donation centers where kids may have little say in what they receive, The Clothesline is built around choice. The experience mirrors a retail store with organized racks, clean fitting rooms and a large variety of options. And many times, students use that agency to give back to their own families.
“There’s many times that a student will look to their parent or sibling and let them choose a piece for themselves, and that is so kind to see,” Hoffman said.
How the community can help
There are three main ways to support The Clothesline: donating clothing, donating financially or volunteering. To support its mission of shopping with dignity, it accepts clothing in excellent condition, clean, stain-free, damage-free, pet hair-free and in styles kids want to wear.
“Whether it’s wearing a coat so you can stand out at the bus stop, or making sure you’ve got that special shirt that you’re wearing on test day, feeling your best is really important to these kids,” Sessions said.
For more information and to find an opportunity to help, visit its website.
