A Catie’s Closet Shopping Experience: How Students Access Their Basic Needs in School

Imagine an open door to a place where students in need can access life’s most critical essentials right within their schools. That’s exactly what Catie’s Closet provides in over 140 PreK-12 schools across 10 school districts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Each day, the organization helps over 95,000 students access clothing, toiletries and other basic necessities as often as they need.

Catie’s Closet is located in schools where 50% or more of the student population lives in poverty. Children and teens who utilize Catie’s Closet’s services endure numerous challenges, including poverty, sudden financial hardship, homelessness, foster care and refugee transitions, mental and emotional health struggles, and lonliness.

Catie’s Closet’s goal is to relieve students of the burdens they face due to these challenges. With their basic needs met, they can go to school and focus on class with comfort and confidence.

Read: 3 Ways Clothing Impacts the Whole Health of a Child

A Life-Changing Introduction

Kids and teens can request support from their school’s closet if a need arises or a trusted school faculty member who is aware of their situation introduces them to the closet as an option.

No matter how a student is introduced to Catie’s Closet, their visit is completely private and discreet. Unless a student personally decides to share their visit with their peers, students can be assured that the details of their situation and closet experience are kept confidential.

They can then visit the closet any time during school hours to shop whenever they need. Students are always accompanied by a trusted faculty member.

Each Catie’s Closet is set up to be a warm, inviting, accepting place where children and teens feel valued for who they are regardless of the issues they face.

The Power of Choice

One of the most important pieces of the Catie’s Closet mission is to provide students with agency to choose the clothing that allows them to express themselves.

Racks and shelves containing a variety of trendy shirts, pants, coats, new undergarments, shoes and so much more in all sizes fill our closets so students have options. They not only shop for the items they need, but want.

In many of our students’ situations, choices are limited. As kids, they have no control over their current life circumstances and the challenges they may bring. When it comes to the clothing they wear, there are often no choices at all.

Many families are forced to meet other living costs such as food and housing before spending on kids’ clothing, shoes, hygiene products, school supplies, and more. When it comes to paying for food vs. clothing, food most often wins.

Catie’s Closet steps in as an always-accessible resource to meet the needs of children whose families are faced with these difficulties. The accessibility is key and the choices students have inside their school’s closet make an incredible impact on their self-esteem and overall outlook on life.

Read: How poverty impacts children’s mental health and educational outcomes

Success in and out of the classroom

Students not only finish their closet visit with new clothing and other basic items, but they leave with a smile on their face, more pep in their step, and an overall feeling of newfound confidence.

Lack of access to basic necessities is a common reason for why students disengage from class or do not attend school at all.

With access granted to students who need it, they are more likely to participate fully and confidently in class and interact with their peers during school and play, all without worrying about the stresses of their situations or outward appearance.

Students rely on school as a tool to break down the barriers in front of them and disrupt the cycle of poverty.

We often say “it’s so much more than clothes”. The foundation of our work is to provide children in need with clothing and other basic necessities, but the impact of this mission is deeper and longer lasting.