Clothing Our Kids named Cape school district’s May Community Champion

Cape Henlopen School District recognized Clothing Our Kids as its May Community Champion, presenting a certificate of appreciation to organization President Bob Blouin at the May 22 school board meeting.

Clothing Our Kids is a Sussex County-based nonprofit dedicated to providing school clothing to students in need, serving every pre-K, elementary and middle school in the county. The 2024-25 school year was its first full year serving five high schools, and it plans to expand to five more in the coming school year.

“I only wish Clothing Our Kids could have seen the happiness a recent student expressed when he received his new pair of sneakers,” said Jaqui Sheridan, a school counselor at Mariner Middle School. “His old shoes were so worn and too small for his feet. Thank you, Clothing Our Kids, for being there to help our students.”

Judy Hudson, a Rehoboth Elementary School social worker, echoed her gratitude for the organization. The volunteers, she said, are the best, and she appreciates their generosity and their timeliness when filling requests.

“Often, I will put in a request and will get my boxes delivered in one to two days,” Hudson said. “Amazing.”

She also said the group is great about filling special requests, such as when a child has a certain non-typical size or only likes certain items or certain colors.

Since COK’s inception in 2012, it has distributed nearly 247,000 items to almost 39,000 kids. In the 2024-25 school year alone, it distributed 26,077 items to 2,956 students.

According to Blouin, it’s a team effort. The organization’s more than 150 volunteers coordinate with the schools’ teachers, nurses, counselors and homeless liaisons.

“Without them, we cannot help these kids,” he said. “Thank you for the recognition, and thank you to [all] who help us make this happen.”