LOUISVILLE, Ky — Having enough clothes to wear is a luxury most of us don’t think about. For a teen mother of two, that was her reality.
“They ran out of clothes for the certain size they needed,” Omega Kelly, a high school senior and mother of two, said.
Kelly is enrolled at JCPS’s Big Picture High School, which gives teen moms the chance to not only stay in school but also have access to other necessary resources.
Through the Teenage Parent Program, Kelly has access to an on-site doctor, child care and an entire staff committed to setting up their students for success.
This includes having a close connection to the district’s Clothing Assistance Program.
“They were [able to] help me get the certain size that they need or the certain shoes that they need,” Kelly said.
To receive help, families reach out to certain school district staff, who find out how many people need help. Volunteers at CAP then put the care packages together. All that is needed to be eligible is having a student enrolled in the district.
Kelly asked for help just over a month ago.
“I think it’s a wonderful program because not a lot of people are able to get clothes and stuff that they need, so by having that program being able to ask somebody to help them get clothes and shoes for them or their kids is a good thing,” she said.
The Clothing Assistance Program was established in 1971 and helps thousands of students each year. It’s currently run by Justin Willis. He said that in the last few years, they have expanded largely in part to partnerships with community organizations and companies.
“You know, I think a lot of us grow up thinking that everybody gets to do back to school shopping and for a vast number of kids and families in this community that is not a reality,” Willis said.
From school uniforms to dress clothes to socks and underwear, new clothes go out to those needing them the most each week.
“You know, nobody comes to us when they are riding high, so usually when people come to us they’re working as hard as they can to juggle the responsibilities of parenthood and work and family and survival which is just tough,” Willis said.
Being a mother of two in high school is hard enough, but thanks to the Clothing Assistance Program, Kelly has one less thing she has to worry about as she gets ready to walk the stage and prepare for the next chapter of her life: cosmetology school.
“My boys, that’s what keeps me going. Having them makes me see that I got more to like, look for, and be able to do things and help them, provide what they need, and basically just show them that they can be whatever they want to be and they can do it,” she said.