KIRO 7 partners with Salvation Army to help children get back to school

Every child should have the clothes they need to start this school year. That’s why KIRO 7 Cares has partnered with the Salvation Army to allow local kids to shop for their back-to-school school outfits.

The Back-to-School Shopping Drive at White Center is helping children get ready for a new school year confidently.

“Imagine you going to school for the first time, and you walk in the door and everyone is wearing new clothes and new shoes except you, I was that child and it’s no fun, and we want to make sure every child in White Center has the opportunity to go to school with new clothes to level the plain field for them,” said Major Jonathan Harvey, general secretary and King County coordinator for the Salvation Army.

For over 20 years, the Salvation Army has been helping children get ready for school, and now it has partnered with Old Navy to allow kids to shop for their back-to-school clothes.

“We got to pick out our own clothes, and it was super fun, and I got to wear them during the school year,” said 10-year-old Caesyn Plainfeather.

Children are able to pick out clothes for themselves, including the pair of pants and the pair of shoes they want.

The event has expanded to 22 centers across the Pacific Northwest.

“It helps me because since I’m a single mom, I don’t have a huge income. It helps me to be able to take them shopping,” said parent Ulonda Pugh.

This year, over 500 children will have the opportunity to pick out their first-day-of-school outfits.

If you’d like to donate, we’ve made it easy. Just visit kiro7.com/shopping.

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