An Albuquerque, New Mexico, coffee establishment is teaming with a local clothing bank to help children get school clothes.
New Mexico Pinon Coffee House and the Locker #505 bank are working together to provide children an opportunity to pick out their school clothes at no cost, according to a KOB report.
The Albuquerque coffee chain is also offering a 10% discount on orders to those who bring clothes and shoes to donate to Locker #505, KOB reported. The clothing bank relies on donations to meet the needs of the public. Demand is high at the beginning of the school year.
“We are extremely busy,” Kim Kerschen, executive director of Locker #505, told KOB. “We have received over a thousand referrals and are seeing around 30 students a day.”
All donations are appreciated but Locker #505 is especially in need of items such as leggings, hoodies, and sweatpants of all sizes, according to KOB. Those interested can view a list of acceptable items on the locker’s website. Locker #505 also accepts financial donations.
The clothing bank was founded in 2014 to provide a student-centered clothing facility for children K-12 in the greater Albuquerque area, according to its website.
“Having appropriate school clothing allows children to concentrate on their schoolwork, not their clothing,” a statement on the clothing bank’s website reads. “It also helps keep children, who might not go to class because of their clothes, in school.”