The Selma Times-Journal

For Selma City Schools, the end of the academic year invokes two main thoughts – summer leisure and the system’s third annual school uniform drive.

Led by school truant officer Lorraine Capers, the drive is a collaborative effort among the city schools, SCOPE, Wallace Community College Selma, CHASM Family Resource Center, the Department of Human Resources and the Juvenile Probation Office.

Boxes have been distributed to each city school to collect all uniforms, Capers said. Contributing students will be awarded five bonus points towards their lowest grade – quite the incentive boost.

On Aug. 7 at 10:30 a.m., the Truancy Center will distribute the uniforms to needy families at Selma Mall. Last year, an estimated 400 families benefited from the uniform drive.

Capers said community support is key to the drive’s success.

“It’s a way of giving back to people in need of uniforms who cannot purchase them,” she said. “Kids have a problem with getting uniforms and they oftentimes tell me they cannot go to school because they don’t have uniforms.”

Prior to distribution, the uniforms are cleaned and pressed by Selma Steam Laundry and Cleaners. The uniforms are then stored on a school bus and transported to Selma Mall where students from the Phoenix School serve as volunteers during the drive.

For more information, call (334) 876-4419.