As temperatures drop, some schools in Wilmington have other concerns aside from the winter holidays. They’re trying to make sure children show up to school in clean, warm clothes.

Winter can be especially hard on families struggling to make ends meet. Warner Elementary School Principal Chrishaun Fitzgerald hears about it firsthand.

“Students ask every day for coats," Fitzgerald said. "They come in and tell us.”

At some Wilmington schools with high poverty rates, groups are stepping in to fill the need.

Last week, the nonprofit Operation Warm gave every student at Warner a free, new winter jacket.

Background: Every child at Warner Elementary gets a free coat from Operation Warm and Harvey Hanna

This week, a chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. partnered with a laundromat in the Riverside neighborhood and paid for free laundry and dryer loads for 17 families invited from Stubbs Elementary School.

Some of those families were homeless, said Ken Livingston, site coordinator of the Stubbs Eastside Community Program run by the social services organization Children and Families First.

The Delaware Department of Education defines homeless youth to include those who are living in shelters, motels or are “doubled up” living with other families.

Nearly all of the students at Stubbs live at or below the poverty line.

When a student doesn’t show up to school in uniform, Livingston said he almost always knows why.

“Nine times out of 10, it’s ‘My mom didn’t get a chance to wash the clothes,’ ” he said.

The school tries to keep spare uniforms on hand to give students when they show up without them, he said.

That can negatively affect children’s self-esteem, Livingston said, especially if they are bullied for being dressed in different or stained clothing.

“What we’re hoping, with being able to provide free laundry, is giving [students] the self-confidence to go to school,” event organizer Cynthia Guy of Alpha Kappa Alpha said.

“Our kids face a tremendous amount of hurdles every day and just trying to help eliminate some of those hurdles would afford them the opportunity to come to school and just focus directly on their education,” Livingston said.

At Warner, Fitzgerald said more than 80 percent of students live at or below the poverty line. She estimated about 15 percent of students are homeless.

The school keeps a closet stocked with clothing for the students, and offers snacks on the weekends for families in need.

As the third-grade class wandered through the Warner cafeteria last week, showing off their new coats, 10-year-old Daykyja said her new pink jacket felt “wonderful and nice.”

She was most excited about the black school sweater she received, which Fitzgerald said students had asked for specifically.

“This is my first time getting one of these,” Daykyja said.

Nearby, her friend Ma’ourri was admiring her puffy blue jacket. Asked if blue was her favorite color, the 8-year-old paused to think about it, and then smiled.

“I feel like it’s amazing, people want to care about kids,” she said.

HOW TO HELP

The Clothing Bank of Delaware takes clothing donations at 1603 Jessup St. Suite 3, Wilmington, DE 19802.

Operation Warm provides free coats to children in need around the country.

The Blessing Place , a church at 221 N. Jackson St. in Wilmington, is taking clothing donations for its monthly clothing giveaway and has a particular need for winter clothes for older teenagers and young adults. Contact Pastor Tony McCleave at (302) 898-0401 for a pickup.

P.O.W.E.R., the community engagement group of the Wilmington Community Advisory Council , is holding a donation drive at noon on Dec. 26 at the downtown Wilmington library at 10 E. 10th St. The group will be taking donations of new winter items such as hats, gloves and scarves, as well as books, toys and games. Contact powerinwilm@gmail.com for more information.

The Black Visionary Designers Barber Salon, 223 W. 8th St., is taking donations of new or gently used coats and jackets for its 11th annual Christmas Eve giveaway. Bring items to the BVD Barber Salon or email bvdsalon@aol.com to schedule a pickup.

Do you have an organization that helps children stay warm and clothed in the winter? Contact Jeanne Kuang at jkuang@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2476.

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