Kelley kids collect and donate clothes

Kids at Kelley School collected so much used clothing, shoes and outerwear to help the needy served by Emmanuel United Methodist Church, that the church asked the some of it be sent to other area charitable organizations.

Fourth grader and Student Council member Blake Jackson came up with the idea for the clothing drive and other members of the Council and the school population embraced it.

As soon as word of it got out on KSK News in November, Kelley students and staff began bringing donations of infant, toddler, children, teen and adult clothing, shoes, jackets and more. When Dorothy DeMay, the used clothing coordinator for the church, saw all the boxes and bags of donated items at the school December 11, she realized she had a unique, but wonderful problem on her hands.

She said there was not enough room in the church, where the free lunch program is held in the basement area (Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon) to store that much clothing at once. Grateful for the overwhelming show of support and caring on the part of the Kelley students and staff, DeMay suggested to Kathy Eckert, a Student Council advisor and third-grade teacher, that she share the wealth with other charitable organizations that help the needy.

Eckert agreed; the donations Emmanuel did not take were going to be sent elsewhere. She said, 'Emmanuel took quite a bit of the donated items, and we will be happy to give the rest to organizations that can use it.. We had no idea the drive would generate so much clothing.' Karen Burgess's class donated 567 items. Not every classroom counted, but there were about 2500 items donated.

Student Council members and Eckert, Heather Jennette and Robyn Ross, fifth grade teachers who are also Student Council advisors, sorted most of the items. Clothing and other items can be obtained for free at Emmanuel United Methodist Church after lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9:30 a.m. until noon the first Saturday of each month. Church is located at the corner of East Miller Ave. and Colton Ave.

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