Clean school clothes; Milwaukee church donates laundry, hygiene items

Giving kids a fresh start for school

A Milwaukee church and day care teamed up to give students and families a fresh start to the new school year.

MILWAUKEE - It was a different kind of back-to-school giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 30. A Milwaukee church and day care teamed up to give students and families a fresh start to the new school year.

What they're saying:

Food, fun and free essentials. The back-to-school season means more than just pencils and paper for Troy Cotton, junior pastor of Kingdom Church. It’s a chance to help parents who are stretched thin.

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"With Walmarts, Walgreens, and even Pick ‘n Saves closing in the community, we want to lighten their load and say, how can we help and be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ," said Cotton.

Volunteers assembled more than 200 baskets with school supplies, cleaning products, hygiene items, personal hygiene items and coins so people could wash their clothes.

Clean clothes for school event

For Cotton, cleanliness is next to godliness. He hopes the $20 in coins will help those who use laundromats.

"Was one of those kids that got talked about a lot with uniform schools. You want your kids to come to school with some great self-esteem. I got some clean clothes," he said.

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"The kids get to benefit by showing up to school present, fresh and smelling good. They don’t have to worry about another kid talking about a smell or a scent on their clothes," said parent Mekeya Vann.

For families like Vann's, the gesture is about more than just detergent.

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Kickball for a Cause: Milwaukee school supply, shoe giveaway

Kickball for a Cause brought the Milwaukee community together at Merrill Park on Saturday to support kids and families before they head back to school.

"It means a lot because I have three kids and, you know, I understand some parents fall short sometimes with bills," added Vann.

Cotton worked with community partners, including other churches and his wife Cortina, who owns Jordan’s River of Tots.

"We want our kids to go back with clean clothes with a clean house be organized because all of those things are a great start to an even better school year," said Cortina.

Free back-to-school haircuts at Studio Fresh

Fresh cuts

What they're saying:

There are few things better than a fresh look to start a fresh school year. In West Alls, the barbershop Studio Fresh gave kids and teachers free haircuts on Saturday.

The owner said they're trying to do something good and give back to the less fortunate who may not be able to afford a haircut before school starts.

"I feel like every student deserves to go to school fresh, and I know not a lot of people have that opportunity to get their kids fresh, so this is kind of my way of giving back," said owner David Martinez. "It's such a confidence boost. It makes the way you walk, you talk – it gives you eagerness to want to go to school, to learn."