During the 2017-2018 school year, I was privileged to sit on the PAC (Parent Action Committee) and SAC (School Action Committee) for SSDP (S.S.Dixon Primary) and Santa Rosa County.  I also committed many hours volunteering with the PTO (Parent Teach Organization) and in the classrooms at SSDP and SSDI (S.S.Dixon Intermediate), where my children are pupils.  During this time, I discovered a large percentage of students were in need of clothes and shoes, and that our teachers were using their own money to purchase these obvious necessities! It was then that the idea of The Children’s Chest was born, and I started working toward a viable process to address that need.

As I spoke to teachers, guidance counselors, and school administrators about my idea, the idea generated more and more positive interest and support.  I reached out to a good friend and local businesswoman about the idea.   She believed in The Children’s Chest so much that we are now joint partners in this venture.  In the summer of 2018, we registered The Children’s Chest Corp as a corporation and were granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

Our mission is to partner with local area schools to help provide clothing, shoes and supplies to K-12 students in need.  We hope to gain contributions of gently used children’s clothing and other items from our supportive community.  We will also happily accept donations in order to purchase needed clothing and supplies that we do not already have available.