Yesterday in a conversation with a school nurse and school counselor, I heard something that I knew I needed to share.
We were discussing the overwhelming needs they see on a daily basis. They wanted to know how to start FOUND. in their town.
They'd seen the evidence of what a community can do when it acknowledges the needs around them and takes action…and they wanted to make it happen in their community, too.
I was thrilled. But I had a question.
Did they really want to add more to their already overflowing plates?
Rallying the community, sorting donations, keeping shelves full and organized, coordinating volunteers, and communicating with faculty would practically be another full-time job.
They both admitted they didn't have time for that.
Which I admired.
Their school is only about an hour away, so I invited them to let us be a resource instead.
Everything we have is available to them as needed.
We talked about helping them set up a really great clothing closet on their campus, and I explained that we have plenty of clothes we'd love to share.
"Just let me know what sizes you need and we'll get you set up. We'd rather you have items on hand when the need arises so you can help the student immediately."
And that's when the conversation took a turn I haven't stopped thinking about.
We started talking about sizes.
"Half the kids don't know what size they wear … and half their parents don't either."
We hear that a lot.
Not necessarily in those exact words, but the experience is consistent across the 100+ campuses we serve.
The kids don't even know their size.
They're used to wearing hand-me-downs and making things work. Wearing what's available instead of having something selected specifically for them.
It's one of the reasons we give out so many items with elastic waistbands. Leggings, joggers, athletic shorts, sweatpants. They're favorites around here because they're so much easier to fit when someone doesn't even know where to start.
I think about how most of us can walk into a store, grab our size off the rack, and head to the dressing room without giving it a second thought. Or we buy things in two sizes and take them home to see what fits if we aren’t in the mood to try it on.
There are kids right here in our communities who don't even know what size to look for.
That's hard to imagine.
But it's also something we can do something about.
Every day, school nurses, counselors, teachers, administrators, social workers, and other educators are standing in the gaps for these kids. They're helping them feel seen, loved, FOUND., and clothed in things that make them feel WORTHY.
And we get to help them do that.
That will never get old.
Here's the beautiful thing about all of this.
What we need from our community is so simple.
We don't need everyone to start a nonprofit.
We don't need you to organize a clothing drive or spend hours volunteering (although we certainly love it when you do!).
We just need people willing to share what they have.
Clothes hanging in closets that aren't being worn.
Shoes that still have plenty of life in them.
Hygiene items, school supplies, and snacks.
And we need monthly donors who believe in this work enough to help us keep the lights on, the shelves stocked, and the resources moving.
That's it.
We've already built the system.
We have the space, the volunteers, the relationships with educators, and the ability to get resources into the hands of kids quickly.
Your generosity makes it possible for us to keep saying YES.
Yes to the school counselor who needs clothes for a student today.
Yes to the nurse who knows a child needs a clean change of clothes.
Yes to educators in a town an hour away who want to help their students but don't have the capacity to take on one more thing.
And yes to kids who deserve to have clothing that fits, that feels good, and that was chosen with them in mind.
I hope you'll be encouraged by how little it takes to be part of something that makes such a big difference.
The ask is simple. The impact is huge.
If you'd like to help us keep this work moving, here are two easy ways:
BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR
Your monthly gift helps us keep the lights on and the resources moving to school campuses across our region.
www.thefoundmission.com/donate
GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE
Clean, gently used clothing and shoes in all sizes, along with new hygiene items, school supplies, and snacks, help us stay stocked and ready to respond.
You can drop off donations at any of our three donation buildings in Lubbock:
✨ 8207 Ithaca Ave
Megaron Post Office
✨ 3520 Woodrow Road
Discount Storage
✨ 5828 Spur 327
Hub City Body Shop
Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
TEXT us at 877-959-5011 (text line only).
Thank you for continuing to show up for kids you may never meet, through educators who get to see the difference you make.
You really are making a difference…and we love sharing this mission with you.
