Schools
Clothes Drive Helps Bristol Twp. Students Facing Housing Insecurity
Community partners raised $6,000 to help stock an almost-empty closet to offer assistance to Bristol Township students.
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — The closet for students facing housing insecurities in the Bristol Township School District was bare.
After learning it was almost empty, the Bristol Township Police Department and the Bristol Borough Police Department wanted to help.
They reached out to Gene and Marlene Epstein, Bucks County philanthropists, to see if they could offer assistance.
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The Epsteins donated $5,500 for the police department and members of the school district to visit the Walmart in Levittown and fill the closet with new clothes.
“Every little thing helps make these kids’ lives a bit better,” Gene Epstein said. “I think I get a greater feeling helping others than the people I’m helping.”
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In Bristol Township School District, 129 students face housing insecurity. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, students qualify if they lack a fixed, regular or adequate nighttime residence, and it ensures students are provided with necessities, such as clothing.
School officials said that Walmart also donated $500 to the cause.
From BTSD, Kelly Schulze, pupil services administrative assistant; Dr. Meredith Leach, district social worker; and Kasey Kenworthy, school counselor, were joined by Sgt. Jason Mancuso and Officer Jon Dob of the Bristol Township Police Department; Chief Joseph Moors of the Bristol Borough Police Department; and Amanda Wick, front-end manager of Walmart.
With the $6,000, the group filled seven shopping carts full of new clothing — coats, shoes, shirts, sweatshirts, pants, undergarments, socks — personal hygiene items, and school supplies.
“When community partners come together, we can make incredible things happen,” said
Leach, who used earlier funds to fill the closet at the beginning of the school year.
With the clothing supply dwindling, she ordered requests as needed through Amazon.
“Now we have everything in stock to immediately meet students’ needs, as opposed to
them waiting,” Leach said.
(Bristol Township School District)
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