Carson City's homeless children will soon have a new place to find clothes.
"It's taken five years and a lot of work from a lot of people to make this a reality," said Kim Riggs, the school district's homeless advocate. "We can now help every student in our district."
No longer will Riggs need to remove students from their classes to drive them to a storage shed to sort through donated clothes.
Instead, the Clothes Closet will be a part of her new office next to the district office on West King Street, near Carson Middle School.
"I'm jazzed, I'm totally jazzed," she said. "It's a lot larger and it will be a lot more accessible for myself and the students."
For the past three years, Riggs has operated the Clothes Closet out of a storage shed donated by John and Diana Serpa.
"Thanks to them, we've served over 600 kids," Riggs said.
However, she said the program -- which serves children living in motels, hotels, campgrounds or doubling up with other families -- outgrew the small accommodations. District officials also began to worry about liability issues with Riggs driving the students to and from the Clothes Closet.
Riggs said she hopes the new location will increase parental involvement.
"Parents can come and bring all of their kids," she said. "Then I don't have to track each individual child down. It makes it easier for us to find those children in need."
The Clothes Closet will be open for operation Feb. 28 in its new spot in the same building with Educator's Closet, where office supplies and other items are donated by businesses for teacher and student use.
"I think it's great because it's right next to us," said Kristi Pulizzotto, coordinator for the Educator's Closet. "Teachers or students who come in here for school supplies can get what they need from there, too."
"It's kind of a one-stop shop," Riggs added.
The two closets will be working together on a new grant to provide party supplies for needy children to have birthday parties -- complete with pizza -- in their classrooms.
Teachers can notify Riggs and she will get the supplies from the Educator's Closet.
The homeless program serves 434 students within the Carson City School District as well as students from Lyon and Douglas counties and from area parochial schools.
YOU CAN HELP
To make a donation to the Clothes Closet or for information call 283-2015.
To make a donation to the Educator's Closet or for more information call 283-2048.
