Summer is No Vacation for Children in Poverty

Many students start their countdown to summer break looking forward to summer activities, adventures, and making fun memories.

But children experiencing poverty, homelessness, or other crises are preparing for months without resources that help meet their basic needs.

For so many children in crisis, school is not just a place to learn, it’s a safe haven.

In addition to education, students can access water, food, healthcare, warmth, structure, stability, and positive relationships. These are foundational to entire well-being.

Thousands of children across our nation and community rely on school to meet these basic needs. Those who attend school equipped with a Catie’s Closet, get access to even more critical essentials, including clothing, undergarments, shoes, hygiene supplies, school supplies, and other necessities.

They can visit their school’s closet during school hours and take as much as they need as often as needed. Accompanied by a trusted faculty member, they can shop with complete freedom of choice, and receive help in other areas of their lives for complete wrap-around service.

What happens to students in poverty when schools close for summer vacation?

Basic needs don’t stop just because school ends. In fact, children’s needs increase over the summer months as they have outgrown their summer clothes from last season, they have an increased need for deodorant, new undergarments, seasonally appropriate footwear, and other hygiene essentials. Many children do not have these items at all.

Without school resources, access to caring adults who want to help them, and little to no means to meet their basic needs, summer becomes a time of loneliness, isolation, and lost hope.

While a big part of Catie’s Closet’s work is to provide children with access to clothing and basic necessities right inside their schools, we are a year-round organization that serves children even when schools close for summer break.

In partnership with dozens of local social service agencies who also help children all year round, we continue meeting children’s basic needs. We do this via our SOS Urgent Response Program.

Clothing is a 365-day need. With support from Catie’s Closet and our community partners, children never have to worry about lacking the clothing and self-care items essential to their health and well-being.

Kids in poverty have enough burdens on their shoulders. Our model ensures access to clothing is never one weighing them down.

How does Catie’s Closet serve children through the summer?

Our SOS Urgent Response Program serves thousands of children in the community all year round, and ramps up during the summer months to continue serving children when schools close for summer.

Social service partners submit orders to our Distribution Center specifying a child’s unique needs and preferences. Dedicated Catie’s Closet team members work to complete the order, creating a customized package filled with proper-sized and age-appropriate clothing as well as essential hygiene items delivered in 24-48 hours.

We receive hundreds of SOS orders per week during the summer.

Why is it so important to serve children even when school is over?

Access to clothing and basic necessities during the school year is critical to a student’s self-esteem, physical health, and educational success.

This understanding drives our mission to provide children with free access to essential items right inside their schools.

According to our recent survey, 93% of students feel an improvement in their self-esteem when they have access to clothing and other necessities inside their schools.

When this resource is cut off abruptly, and they also lose other supportive services and individuals they have at school, their self-esteem, desire to strive toward a brighter future, and their educational progress take a significant hit.

As school ends, students know immediate access to basic needs is no longer a short walk down a hallway. We want to assure them that even though school shuts down for summer, Catie’s Closet remains open and ready to help them every step of the way.

Their summer of loneliness and isolation becomes a summer of comfort and confidence. This will lead into the following school year and continue with them as they strive toward a brighter future.

We’re sending out a Summer SOS!

As students prepare for a very challenging few months ahead, you can step in to help them thrive through summer and beyond.

Host an online peer-to-peer fundraiser. You have a big desire to help children in need and you can become a change-maker by becoming a fundraiser for Catie’s Closet. Set up your fundraising page, and share it with your friends, family, colleagues, and entire network. Encourage them to join your efforts by making a donation and making an impact on children in need.

We provide everything you need to make your fundraiser a huge success, including instructions, tips, promotional materials, and more.

Every donation you collect provides children in crisis with critical items through summer and beyond.
Make a donation. Not interested in hosting a fundraiser but want to help? Simply make a donation. You can also deepen your impact by selecting your company to match your donation.