Lamar welcomes Carolina’s Kids Clothing Closet
Pictured at the Lamar Clothing Closet ribbon cutting ceremony are (left to right) Gay Jeffords, Lamar High students Carlos Lisbon and Jarvis Gee, Andrea Pulling, executive director of Carolina’s Kids, Connell Delaine, chairman of the Darlington County Board of Education, and volunteer Bobbie Stanley
Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Carolina’s Kids, Inc. and the Darlington County School District teamed up last week to celebrate the opening of the Lamar Clothing Closet, located on the campus of Lamar Elementary School.
This new facility will provide free clothing – gently worn or new items – to less fortunate children attending DCSD schools in the Lamar area, even allowing kids to visit and get clothing during school hours in urgent situations.
Carolina’s Kids operates two other Clothing Closets in Hartsville and Darlington, and this new outlet will allow more efficient outreach to the children of Lamar.
“Our Clothing Closets are a way to show children love, compassion, and simply that someone cares about them,” said Andrea Pulling, executive director of Carolina’s Kids.
Pulling spoke about the numerous kids helped by the Clothing Closets over the years, noting that many kids must go to class and try to do their schoolwork while contending with the distracting, uncomfortable, and embarrassing problems of wearing shoes, pants, and tops they have outgrown. She shared stories of how kids blossomed and expressed joy over the simple gift of a new garment that actually fits them.
“That same thing is going to happen here (in Lamar),” said Pulling. “It doesn’t take much to show a child that you care, and that’s really what we’re about.”
The Lamar Clothing Closet will also provide gently used clothing and accessories for adults, and volunteer Gay Jeffords notes that this might help out folks in need of a dress shirt or outfit for a job interview.
Founded in 2006 by Dr. Abe Areephantu and his former wife, Daphne Areephantu, Carolina’s Kids operates five programs to serve children, including providing backpacks and school supplies, Hunger Busters weekend food bag programs (now feeding 712 school children every week), Read and Feed programs that provide extra meals and homework help at school, and field trip and summer enrichment and camp funding.
