Staff reports
This quarter, 100 Women Who Care Beaufort donated $10,600 to Mimi’s Closets, an organization likely unfamiliar to many in the community that is making a difference in the lives of students throughout Northern Beaufort County.
Mimi’s Closets, an education-support initiative of Women United, a volunteer-driven affinity group of United Way of the Lowcountry, is dedicated to removing some of the everyday barriers that can prevent children from succeeding in school.
The idea is simple but powerful: students need more than a classroom and a teacher to be ready to learn. When children lack appropriate clothing, school supplies, food, or basic personal-hygiene items, those challenges can affect everything from school attendance and classroom participation to self-esteem and academic performance. For students attending Title I schools, these obstacles can become significant barriers to learning.
Located within participating schools, each Mimi’s Closet is stocked with items that students may need but cannot always access at home. Supplies include backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, snacks, hygiene products, toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste, wipes, pull-ups for preschool children, and first-aid supplies.
Mimi’s Closets currently operates in four Title I schools in Northern Beaufort County, providing support to approximately 1,153 students at Shanklin Elementary School, St. Helena Elementary School, Whale Branch Elementary School, and James J. Davis Early Learning Center.
The $10,600 donation from 100 Women Who Care Beaufort will help restock the four existing closets and support the addition of two more schools this fall: Lady’s Island Elementary School and Whale Branch Middle School.
By providing students with basic necessities, Mimi’s Closets helps ensure that children can walk into their classrooms feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to learn. It is a practical way to support students today while helping build a stronger future for our entire community.
Mimi’s Closets is funded entirely through donations and fundraising and receives no funding from United Way of the Lowcountry. To learn more about Mimi’s Closets and its work in local schools, visit www.uwlowcountry.org/our-work/womenunited.
With this latest contribution, 100 Women Who Care Beaufort has now donated more than $590,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Northern Beaufort County. Each quarterly donation reflects the collective power of local women coming together to make a difference in the community they call home. All Beaufort women are encouraged to consider joining and helping select which organization will be the next recipient.
The group’s next quarterly meeting will be held October 13 at First Presbyterian Church Hall in Beaufort. To learn more about 100 Women Who Care Beaufort, visit www.100wwcbeaufort.org.