Houghton-Kearney Elem. Clothing Closet reopens to serve students on campus and across the district

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- From the outside, it may be inconspicuous on campus.

But once you open the door, you can see just how much the Clothing Closet at Houghton Kearney Elementary School holds.

Inside, clothes are hung as high as the ceiling.

There are belts and backpacks along with hygiene kits and hairbands.

"The importance of the clothing closets is to make sure that our students feel comfortable and ready to learn each day in the classroom," Foundation For Central Schools Executive Director Serena Dohi said.

The foundation helps meet additional needs that students and families have beyond education.

There are five clothing closets at different school sites, but they serve the entire Central Unified School District.

"So when a child is in need, we have a call out to our clothing closets district-wide, and we now have five of those, and everyone kind of looks in their clothing closets and checks for sizes," Dohi said.

Dohi says 95% of the clothing is new.

That's thanks to partnerships and donors from the Kaiser Permanente benefits program and the Assistance League of Fresno.

The brand-name shoes that are still in the box are thanks to Sole4Souls.

Teachers and Family Outreach Liaisons refer children to the closet in hopes of supporting the student with items they may need.

"But the idea around it is that they're getting a hand up and they're never feeling like they are that last thought of the day," Dohi said.

The school previously had the clothing closet in the library, but needed more space.

District-wide, the clothing closets served around 300 students during the 2024-2025 school year.

Dohi says they want to continue to support students' basic needs so they can focus and learn in the classroom.

"So it's very important that they feel seen, they feel heard and they feel loved. When they go into that clothing closet, and they get something that they're going to wear and love," Dohi said.

If parents need any of these resources for their children, they can reach out to their school site directly.

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