Shoes and Clothes for Kids
Mission
The mission of Shoes and Clothes for Kids is to break barriers to school attendance by providing new shoes, clothes, and school supplies to students in need.
For 55 years, Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K) has helped children in need in Cuyahoga County get to school by providing new shoes, clothes, and school supplies through a network of schools, distribution partners, and now directly to families at the Community Resource Center. SC4K is the only nonprofit organization delivering these vital services to children year-round in Greater Cleveland. Meeting children's basic needs creates a ripple effect of increased self-esteem, elimination of school attendance barriers, and improvement in academic achievement. Additionally, SC4K provides free school supplies and more to teachers in under-resourced classrooms so that their students are prepared to learn.
In 2023, SC4K distributed new items with a total value of over $3.5M to 28,019 kids in 48 different Greater Cleveland communities; school and classroom supplies valued at $1M were distributed free of charge through 1,812 teacher shopping visits.
What was your response to receiving notification that you were a Cy Pres recipient? Were you aware of what Cy Pres was at the time?
We were shocked! We didn't think the check was real because it arrived out of the blue, and we had our attorneys double-check that it was legit! We had never heard of cy pres but were thrilled to receive the proceeds, especially since it helped fund and expand our work. A gift of $50,000 is a sizable amount for an organization of our size, so we were delighted to be able to share the news of the donation with our supporters and community.
How did you use the funds to better your mission?
The check from Ohio Lawyers Give Back was a gift from above. We had a very strong demand for shoes, and our donations were running behind projections, so the funds paid for Payless Shoe gift cards and more than filled the shortfall. With the remaining balance, we were able to stock up on closeout shoes and boots for the following year.
Any paticular success stories you can share?
One recipient in foster care with his two brothers remembers receiving packages of brand-new shoes and clothes from us. He said opening the new shoes, shirts, pants and coats was like Christmas morning. They were still wearing shorts and tee shirts (in October) because that is what they came with. And to top it off, they received a backpack full of school supplies they needed. He was thrilled to be able to thank us and pay it forward. He is now a volunteer.
Another story was from a single mother who couldn't make ends meet one year. Her children were the recipients of two different pink winter coats from a distribution partner - her daughters were so proud to wear the coats to school.
An SC4K distribution partner organization recently shared, "We have had multiple families who were not able to attend school because they did not have the proper uniforms. With the help of SC4K, we were able to get those families uniforms so that their children could attend school."
And from a teacher, "I really enjoy ‘shopping’ at Shoes and Clothes for Kids, especially since it is free! It allows me to stock up on basic school supplies that I give to students who need them and pick up seasonal decorations to make my classroom more inviting for the kids. My principal loves it when I return with reams of copy paper, office and cleaning supplies, and even toilet paper, freeing up his budget for teacher training and in-service days."
Any thoughts on Dworken & Bernstein’s efforts to encourage all law firms to utilize cy pres when possible?
Cy pres is a wonderful opportunity to help so many non-profit agencies carry out their missions. As I understand the process, the non-profit recipient serves a demographic similar to the "class," which was wrong. So many eligible "class" members never complete the paperwork but are thrilled to learn that their "settlement" was given to charities, which makes a huge difference. It is the right thing to do