MANSFIELD – Hundreds of local students are starting the school year on the right, well-dressed foot with help from The New Store.
For the past decade, The New Store has assisted families in financial need with dressing students from kindergarten through eighth grade for the school year. It’s the most popular of the five programs offered by the Richland County Children’s Auxiliary, all designed to help Richland County children in need.
“We have two missions – to provide an appropriate fitting of new clothing for school that helps kids fit in with their peers, but also to provide them with a true shopping experience they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Executive Director Julie Kleshinski. “We want to make this a unique and special outing for the student so they enjoy coming here and not feeling less-than.”
Everything about The New Store speaks to that mission, from the brightly colored décor to the enthusiastic volunteers. True to its name, all the merchandise at The New Store is new, efficiently purchased by volunteers throughout the year at popular department stores.
Kleshinski doesn’t diminish the need for second-hand or thrift stores in the area. However, the need and purpose of new clothing for students isn’t superficial.
“School bullying has been such an issue that we find it critical that we maintain current, new clothing that helps these kids fit in with their peers,” she said. “It makes them feel good about going to school knowing they’re wearing things their peers are wearing.
“We don’t want their educational process to be distracted. We get feedback from teachers and school administrators that it does make a difference.”
This partnership with all the school districts in Richland County is key to The New Store, as most of the store’s clients come by referral through the school district. Kleshinski explained families are referred to The New Store through a simple form filed by administrators, and the financial criteria is that the family must be enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program at school.
Once a family is referred, parents or guardians simply make a call to Kleshinski to set up an appointment on a “dressing day” at The New Store. The majority of dressing days are scheduled in August and September, with as many as 80 students per day.
“We have an incredible attendance rate of over 90 percent,” Kleshinski noted. “I think when these families face numerous barriers in their daily lives, that tells me this is a priority to them to make arrangements to get here.”
On a dressing day, families register in the lobby of the Mid Ohio Educational Service Center before students are paired with a volunteer to shop while parents or guardians wait in the lobby. At least 30 volunteers per dressing day range from high school sports teams and honor clubs to adult professional organizations. Every volunteer introduces themselves to parents and gets a sense of what the student needs.
After the initial meeting, however, students and volunteers are flying solo during the shopping experience. Separating students from their parents while they shop is a crucial part of the experience for Kleshinski.
“Sometimes parents can squash the joy of the process; it goes to the child feeling empowered to make their own choices and to have fun in the process,” she explained. “They get to work with this mentor that makes them feel good about the choices they’re making.
“We just ask our parents or guardians to respect that process, and nobody has a problem with it.”
Every student leaves The New Store with three pairs of pants, four shirts, one hoodie or sweatshirt, one pair of shoes, a pack each of socks and underwear, a winter hat and gloves, a personal hygiene bag and a book. Extra items based on availability include a purse, a belt, shorts and pajamas. Campus wear is also available.
The best part? All items are sent home at no charge for the families in need. The Richland County Children’s Auxiliary funds The New Store with TANF (temporary aid to needy families) grant money, private foundations and donations and one annual fundraiser per year. For the 2015 fiscal year, Kleshinski said The New Store’s clothing budget was $75,000.
“We help over 1,000 kids per school year, so that’s how efficient we are in our shopping,” she said. “I know I couldn’t spend $75 on all my children and expect to meet all their needs.”
The cost is more than worth it upon seeing the reaction of the students shopping at The New Store. From shy kindergartners to surly eighth graders, all students leave the store with a smile on their face.
“Kids come in and realize this is going to be a fun place to be,” Kleshinski said. “Or the girls go into the girls’ room and wish their room looked like that. The reaction when the kids come in here, we never have a problem.”
The experience is rewarding for the volunteers as well. Kleshinski said her volunteer force includes parents of children who have been dressed by The New Store before to high schoolers who have benefited from the store in the past.
Kleshinski said running The New Store has taught her not to judge.
“We are big on focusing on the children,” Kleshinski said. “Let’s say it’s bad decisions by the parents or guardians that have resulted in their need to come here. When our focus is on the children, then it’s irrelevant. We don’t want the children to suffer for that.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is I do not walk in the shoes of anybody else,” she continued. “Maybe the parents drove up in a nice car, but that does not mean they don’t have life circumstances that are so challenging for them that it’s brought them to my door.”
For more information about volunteering at The New Store or becoming a recipient, visit www.thenewstore.org.
