Why Clothing
Why Clothing?
Clothing is the forgotten basic need.
An empty closet means limited opportunities.
Necessities shouldn’t be luxuries.
They never go to school in December wearing flip flops or forego underwear, because you don’t have the money to buy it.
But parents fighting the daily war against poverty have to make unimaginable choices.
Picking between bread and clothing, families will choose to eat every time.
But getting picked last doesn’t make clothing a luxury. It’s a basic need, like shelter and food. Sometimes we forget how critical it really is, until we don’t have it.
Clothing insecurity impacts
20 million American children
When children don’t have clean clothing that fits, and is appropriate for the weather and season, they’re not the only ones who notice.
Their peers are often quick to point it out, leading to patterns of bullying, embarrassment, and shame. Well-intentioned teachers may ask questions in ways that only make the child feel even more alienated.
It doesn’t take long for a child experiencing clothing insecurity to skip school altogether. When they’re not in school, children miss out not only on education, but also on the security of adult supervision and the nutrition of school meals.
2 in 5 American kids are unable to adequately dress themselves every day.
The average American family spends 20% of their income on housing, 10% on food, and 2% of their income on clothing.
“Lack of clothing” accounts for three of the top ten reasons kids miss school.
The lifelong consequences of clothing insecurity
According to the Department of Education, chronic absenteeism may prevent children from reaching early learning milestones.
And irregular attendance may better predict whether children will drop out of school than their test scores.
Students who drop out of high school lose a lot more than an education. Dropping out:
- Reduces life expectancy by almost a decade.
- Takes away an average of $10,000 per year in earnings.
- Increases someone’s chances of incarceration.
Clothing may not be the only contributing factor, but it’s one of the earliest interventions we can offer to break this cycle for a child.
