Susan Holloway became a teacher 14 years ago. When she began teaching at a middle school where most of its children came from low-income families in Bakersfield, California, she noticed something about the students' clothing.
The clothes they wore were a distraction, not because faculty deemed them inappropriate like in some schools, but because the children felt insecure in them.
“I would see students struggling, just not having the basic needs of clothing,” she explained. “When a student doesn’t have the basic needs, how do I expect a student in my class to even focus or concentrate?”
The students' families couldn't afford to provide them with new or intact clothing. Many of them felt self-conscious and wouldn't pay attention in school. They were too worried about what the other students might think.
Faced with a seemingly insurmountable difficulty (like teacher Gina Pearson who mentored a difficult student), Susan came up with a plan.
She asked the principal if she could use an empty classroom. She gathered clothing donations from families, friends, and colleagues. Then she made a clothing bank. A place, right there, in school where students can pick up new clothes.
“Instead of focusing on how I appear to people, I can focus on my grades,” a grateful student said. Susan's successful project soon became district-wide. Today, 9,000 students can focus on their studies instead of their clothes because of one compassionate teacher.
“I felt a calling that I needed to do something,” she said. "Anyone can do this and help their students.”
Please SHARE if you wish every teacher was as compassionate at Susan!
