Living on a spin cycle

I believe the path to academic achievement is widened when students aren’t distracted by the things they’re lacking. One of my favorite ways to describe OKE’s work is meeting kids where they’re at and providing them with the right supplies to get through the school day.

Providing for the lack isn’t always easy when working with families living in poverty or experiencing homelessness. There are many unique considerations, which are easily overlooked or misunderstood by those of us trying to help kids be better prepared for school. To be successful in this world, we also need to bring awareness to the barriers our kids are up against.

Laundry can be a barrier for a struggling family with children. The cost to do loads of laundry this week may be too much compared to the family’s cash on hand.

Doing laundry can be a challenge for a struggling family with children. Some families simply can’t wash clothes on a regular basis.

There are a host of valid reasons why a family who wants to do laundry can’t. They might not have washers or dryers. They may be living in motels or shelters. The laundromat might be too far away and their transportation may be unreliable. The cost to do laundry this week may be too much compared to this week’s cash on hand.

Some of the families can do laundry, but they’re  cramming so many articles of clothing into a $1 load that the clothes can’t be properly cleaned. Others are using no laundry detergent. Some are using their bathtub but don’t know how to manually wash their clothes.

Teachers tell us about students who come to school in the same outfit for days at a time… even if their clothes become soiled. I’ve seen it myself during classroom visits. I’ll never forget this one adorable fourth-grade girl in southwest Detroit. She not only had a huge hole in her sweat pants, but its bright color made the dirt more noticeable. The memory of that girl will remain with me forever.

One of the schools we work with installed a washer and dryer for their early childhood program. Other teachers have been using the machines on their own time to wash their students’ clothes. It’s heartbreaking when the dirt or odor becomes extreme, or when a student has an accident, and you know the family doesn’t have the means to immediately take care of it.

One teacher said, “Growing up I knew what it was like to be poor. If a family can’t afford it right now, then they can’t afford it. Many of them are struggling and working hard to make ends meet. There is nothing else they can do. At least they’re sending their kids to school to get an education. I try to help the family in any way I can.” Last year, this same teacher also spent $300 out of her own pocket on clothing for her students. She now spends much less since she discovered the clothing section at the OKE Teachers’ Annex.

Teachers are able to quickly respond to their students with soiled clothes or accidents with clothes from the Teachers’ Annex. This weekend, two teachers were looking through clothes with specific students in mind. I was touched to see one of the teachers get excited and exclaim, “This is so cute and will be perfect for Tasia. She’ll love it!” It led me to ask about the back story and to learn about the needs and challenges out there.

Having clean clothes reaches beyond the health and well-being of a child. Clean clothes are helping kids get through the school day. They want to come back to school because they can be like the other kids. Feelings of isolation and embarrassment and the threat of ridicule and bullying are diminished.

Your support shows them they are valued even when their world is looking bleak.

There are many considerations in this work. By learning about them and helping us address the needs, you’re contributing to the academic achievement of kids who need us the most. We’re pleased you joined in to do what it takes to help create that success.

Relatedly . . .

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to an eye-opening post by author John Scalzi on what it’s like to be poor.  Here are some of the excerpts from the comments related to laundry:

Being poor means choosing between a cup of coffee, a newspaper, or a load at the laundrymat. You can’t have all three, or even two of them. ever.

Being poor means sitting on top of the washer for each load of laundry, holding the button in until your fingers are numb–so the washer doesn’t stop. You can’t afford to replace it, let alone get the problem with the button fixed.

Being poor is the laundry done in the bathtub and hung to dry on the porch.

Being Poor means washing laundry in a bucket for 20 years so your kids didn’t have to “look” poor.

Being Poor means jumping for joy when a lady at the free clinic hears about your washing ordeal & offers to give you an old washer she has put away in storage.

Being poor is putting off laundry as much as possible because it just takes quarters you don’t have.

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