Moms come together to clothe kids in Hillsborough County

A dedicated group of moms is volunteering their time to help struggling families clothe their children. 

Hillsborough County social worker Joyce King is on a mission to help meet the need of her students. 

"I am here because we had a family that didn't come to school this week because they did not have any clothes or supplies," she explained of one of the many cases she works with.

Joyce picked up clothes from Oasis, which provides gently used clothing and new hygiene items for students. 

"They are a God-send. The way that they have impacted and helped with the families gives me goosebumps because this is such a fantastic program," she said.

The non-profit has a partnership with social workers to provide essentials for children in need from Hillsborough County.

"We have three sites across the district that social workers can visit when kids are in need and as well as for other programs, including an emergency food assistance program," Oasis executive director Dawn Schulman said. 

The assistance is needed by a lot of students. 

"Eighteen percent of the kids in Hillsborough County that are under 18 live in poverty. And in Hillsborough County Public Schools, 60% of our kids are on free and reduced lunch,"  added Schulman. 

With families living paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to find extra money for school clothes.

"Currently, we serve about 11,000 students a year, and this year in 2021, our goal is to serve 12,000 students to make sure they're comfortable in the classroom," Schulman explained. 

The moms who are coming together for the cause of helping students have an enjoyable educational experience. 

Oasis is celebrating its 20th school year of helping kids in Hillsborough County. They have also started an online clothing delivery program. For more information, visit https://www.oasisopportunities.org/.