A Dallas-based organization is fashioning old clothes into new garments as part of its fight against poverty, according to a press release.
Dallas Justice Now promoted the holiday initiative to build community and help enable young people to present themselves well. The organization partnered with local tailors to reclaim old clothes and distribute them to young Dallas residents in need.
“It is an excellent time to clean out your closets and send those old clothes to where they can be of the most value,” Dallas Justice Now tweeted. “Look inside … those clothes can be repurposed for children in need.”
Clothing can be one of the most challenging expenses for families with children below the poverty line, especially as children often quickly outgrow their clothes.
According to a 2018 report from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, one in five children in Dallas County lives below the poverty line.
In addition, Dallas has the highest number of people living below 185% of the poverty line among major cities in the United States, according to Buckner International. Dallas also has the second-highest number living 100% below the poverty line, behind only Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dallas Justice Now aims to “take direct action to fight the effects of disparity on a granular level,” as the press release from the organization reads. This approach focuses on empowering students to better themselves, giving them vital tools for success like clothing.
Having clean, properly fitted clothing also makes children more likely to stay and succeed in school, according to reporting from numerous organizations. This notion has been supported by schools like Detroit’s A.L. Holmes Academy of Blended Learning, which saw absences drop by 10% and suspensions drop by 75% after it took initiative to provide its students with clean clothes.
The Dallas Justice Now initiative focuses on “rebuilding the fabric of our community and having our tailors and fashion-conscious community members connect and plant seeds of being well groomed and presentable at a very young age,” the press release states. “By doing this these children will ‘look’ the part and find it easier to gain entry to trade schools, internships and other job opportunities as they present themselves.”
The drop-off for old clothing is at the D for Dapper store at 3101 Commerce St. in Deep Ellum, Dallas.
