Do you remember middle school? You are being pushed to learn and grow, all while figuring out who you are.
We know that middle and high school can be challenging for teens, especially if a family is going through financial hardship, loss, or uncertainty. Each year, during our Stock Their Lockers program, the Samaritan Center provides school supplies, clothing, and “teen survival kits” to children in our community who are underserved.
“Every kid that comes through Stock Their Lockers gets the same opportunity. No kid that comes through our program has to pick through leftovers,” said Sharon Smith-Hensley, Director of Social Services.
To care for the teens that come through our program, we offer boy and girl “Teen Survival Kits”. These kits focus on personal hygiene and include everything a teen would need to care for their body. Some items include ponytail holders and combs, deodorant, underwear, nail files, travel-sized toiletries, and feminine hygiene products, to name a few.
“It’s about dignity,” said Sharon Smith-Hensley. “We give them discrete supplies that they can keep in their locker. These teen survival kits give kids the dignity of not having to ask for personal items while at school.”
Many of these items are expensive and cannot be bought with SNAP benefits. As a result, teens are forced to go without necessary care items. With our survival kits, they are equipped to go to school with confidence, ready to learn, knowing they are clean and cared for. Providing teens of families in hardship with care items supports their physical state and their emotional state.
“The first year, we put feminine products in gallon Ziploc bags. Each year since the first one, after asking ourselves how we can do better, the program has grown. Now we put personal care items in nice toiletry or cosmetic bags they want to carry. The program has expanded to give personal care items to boys too.” said Sharon Smith-Hensley.
The mission statement of the Samaritan Center is to meet the basic physical, spiritual, and social needs of people in our area, using the ministry of Jesus as our model. By caring for our teen’s basic needs, we can give them help for today and hope for tomorrow.
We are now accepting donations:
- Women’s & Girl’s underwear size 5 to size 10
- Men’s boxers – not briefs sizes XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL
- Women’s socks – crew or short
- Travel size tooth paste or deodorant.