YAKIMA, Wash. – Adams Elementary students in Yakima enjoyed a special shopping spree to prepare for the cold winter months. This annual event, supported by community donations, ensures that students are ready for the chilly season.
Each student received $100 to shop at Old Navy, accompanied by a volunteer. After their shopping trip, they returned to school to receive a pair of boots and a winter coat.
Principal Doug Kaplicky says community organizations came together to make the shopping spree possible.
“55 agencies and different folks, it’s a community event,” he said. “We’re super, super blessed to have this at Adams.”
As one of the larger elementary schools in the Yakima School District, the staff at Adams Elementary often see students unprepared for winter temperatures.
“For us to be able to tell our families that we can help support them and show our kids we love them, and we care about them and give them a basic need,” said Counselor Ellissa Russell “It’s a really big deal.”
School buses transported the students to Old Navy, where they had the freedom to choose their new clothes. Russell says in the decade Adams has participated in the event; the first school day really shows the impact of the new clothes.
“The best part is when they come back to school the week after this event, and they come in and they’ve got cool new clothes that they got to pick out and they’re warm,” said Russell. “It’s really nice to see.”
The timing of the event also aligns with the holiday season. Kaplicky says the school is doing everything it can to take care of its students.
“It’s an opportunity for us just to connect with kids and connect with kids that don’t have maybe a Christmas opportunity or even Thanksgiving,” he says. “We’re trying to provide a lot of meals for Thanksgiving as well this year.”
Beyond providing clothing, the event emphasizes social and emotional learning.
“We’re taking care of do they have food? Do they have power? Are they have the right housing?” said the principal. “We’re trying to provide socks, hats, coats and a lot of different just activity for our kids. Just knowing that they’re safe and coming to school safe and they’re coming to school warm.”
As a counselor, Russell sees a lot of students unprepared for Yakima’s weather. She says the event creates memories for the students and their families.
“We have parents that see what we’ve given them or a kid who sees a pair of boots and they’re like, ‘I get to keep these and they’re new and I get to cut off the tag,'” saus Russell. “It’s a big deal. Our kids don’t often get that, and for them to feel special and see that we love them and it’s not just about learning, it’s about relationships and basic needs. That’s a big deal.”
The event has grown significantly, initially helping just 50 kids and now reaching up to 700 across the Yakima Valley, with plans to continue expanding.
