Did you know several Delaware public and charter schools have a dress code which requires students to wear a polo-style shirt and khaki-type bottoms? Some schools even require a different color shirt based on the student’s grade, making it necessary for students to have a different color shirt each year. For some Delaware families, buying items that comply with the school dress code can be a financial burden, and students may face disciplinary action when they arrive out of uniform.
In 2020, Friendship House launched a School Uniform Program through our Clothing Bank to help families with this challenge. A local public school was getting ready to resume in-person classes after the COVID shutdown, and many of their parents were struggling to afford the required items for their kids to go back to school. When they turned to us for help, we stepped up by providing 400 uniform items. Since then, we’ve grown by leaps and bounds. Last year, with your loving support, we distributed 10,362 uniforms to 18 schools, benefiting 5,000 Delaware students! This program has been a great success thanks to the amazing support from our community. We’ve doubled our warehouse space so we can run the program even more effectively and efficiently. We hope you’ll continue to support us on this important journey by helping us fill our shelves. Your kindness makes a huge difference!
Here’s what we need:
- Solid color polos (without logos) in youth sizes 5 – 20, and adult sizes S – XL
- Youth pants (khaki or navy color) in sizes 5 – 20
- Men’s pants (khaki or navy color) in sizes 28 – 40
- Women’s pants (khaki or navy color) in sizes 0 – 20
- Monetary donation ($25 typically buys one uniform set)
We make it easy to purchase uniforms through our registries! Click and purchase, and the items will be shipped directly to us:
Interested in volunteering? We could use your help to:
- Wash and iron used uniforms
- Bag, tag, and box uniforms
- Organize uniform donation drives
We know this amazing program has a huge impact. Our school partners agree too!
“On behalf of the entire A.I. Middle School community, I am writing to express our deepest gratitude for the recent donation of uniforms from Friendship House… With access to quality uniforms, all students, regardless of their economic backgrounds, now have the opportunity to attend school feeling included and equal. Many students who previously faced challenges acquiring suitable uniforms are now able to attend school with pride. Your generosity has had a profound and lasting impact on the lives of our students, and we want to convey our heartfelt appreciation.”
– Katy Richardson, School Nurse, A.I. duPont Middle School