Teen volunteers Dev Patel, Paul Varghese, Mistilyn Thorton, Eric Skinner, Amanda Gutowsky, Elizabeth Hias, Rachel Lee, Lindsay Etzler, Luz Ortiz, Jennifer Vargas, Elizabeth Park, Hazel Githumbi, Chloe Lall, Hoa Nguyen, Brenda Negreros, Madeline Hope, Caroline Jennings and Casara Han.
By Linda K. Eaves | Photos by Nesossi Studios –
Common Threads gives struggling families one less thing to worry about. Jill Duban, director of Common Threads, hears the stories while families shop for clothing and basic items for school.
“The gravity of needing help for some families is really heavy – sometimes they get angry or cry. They don’t want to be here, but they have no choice.” The situations vary for the families who benefit from Common Threads. Some are from the Women’s Shelter, others are single parents barely keeping their heads above water to pay the rent and others are homeless.
Jill Duban became coordinator of Common Thread five years ago under her umbrella of jobs for Lamar CISD including serving as coordinator of all of the district’s volunteers. Common Threads was started in 2001 because of the huge need for a place that would help families all year long to find uniforms, especially during back-to-school and the beginning of winter. When the program started, 800 Lamar CISD children were served. Now, over 2,000 students in the district are served. Children, especially boys, may grow four sizes over the summer, and when it’s time to go back to school, for many families, it’s a struggle. Common Threads provides these students with a shopping experience. Kids go in and pick out their clothes.
Duban also started a graduation gown collection and a fund for kids who want to walk across the stage but can’t afford the gown. “We started collecting prom gowns as well. I have three kids and their friends would say, ‘You know, I’m never going to wear this again.’ We pass them around and do fashion shows for the high schools and funnel them through different programs that get them to the kids who need them.”
Jill Duban and Elsa Gonzales spend countless hours during the summer to help prepare clothing for back-to-school.
Teen Volunteers
To help with sorting and washing the multitude of donated clothing Common Threads receives each year, Duban needed help. She started the teenage volunteer program not only because of this need, but because her children wanted to volunteer, and there wasn’t really a place to get their service hours or community hours for National Honor Society or the service cord program at the high schools.
“The teen volunteer program was born out of the issues that my own kids were having. It’s been such a great learning experience for my volunteers in the summer because sometimes they don’t know why they’re going through all these sometimes stinky clothes and gross lunch boxes at the end of the year,” said Duban.
“Then, when these teens help the families and meet kids from different schools in the area, they learn to work together and get to meet peers from other areas. By the end of the summer, the teens have made new friends. It changes their outlook on life. I’ve noticed huge changes in kids from the beginning to the end of summer, maturing and getting why it’s important to give back to the community. My favorite part of my job is working with the teenagers and watching them work with the families.”
The teenage volunteers are vital to the success of Common Threads’ Back-To-School Drive. A great deal of preparation time is required to sort the uniforms and regular clothes, pack school supplies and get everything organized for the big shopping day. “The teenagers save my life every school year,” said Duban. “It’s a lot of fun but a lot of work to serve over 2,000 kids. It’s a life lesson for the volunteers. A lot of kids don’t realize the level of poverty here.”
Duban feels the schools should promote volunteering from the six-grade level through high school. She would like to see a community-wide effort to get kids to volunteer. “I think the district’s service cord program and having different clubs be service-oriented in the community is really important because it opens every kid’s eyes. Their world becomes a little bigger.”
Duban reaches out to as many organizations within Lamar CISD as possible. “We work with all of clubs on the campuses. They hold drives for us all during the year. When you create awareness on a campus level, you start a trend where those kids start to volunteer, and they teach their kids to volunteer.”
Fulfilling the Need
Common Threads’ mission is to give children in need one less thing to worry about. “We hope that when these kids get new outfits and new uniforms, they’ll feel better about themselves, feel like they belong and want to stay in school.”
Giving children one less thing to worry about is paramount to their success according to Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Randle. “Passing STAAR is tough enough, and it is even harder if you are worried about having proper clothing and the supplies necessary to do your school work. The goal of Lamar CISD is to give the best possible education to every student, regardless of their economic situation. The work of Common Threads and their many volunteers and donors makes it possible for students to begin school with a few less worries.”
Through the Common Threads’ program, each child is given three shirts and three pairs of pants. “We’ve recently had to ask for new socks and underwear, since Wal-Mart stopped providing them last March. The kids love getting new socks and underwear.”
This year, Common Threads held a Back-To-School Drive on a Saturday to give working parents a chance to attend. “We work with the social workers year round, and we’re able to take some of the kids off of our list. Many people who receive donations give back when they are able.”
Eligibility
Lamar CISD families who find themselves in difficult situations may be eligible for assistance from Common Threads. Inquires about participation in the program should be directed to the school nurse at the student’s campus. Community members may also provide information about families needing assistance by contacting the student’s school nurse. All referrals are confidential.
After the referral is approved, parents and students may choose to select school clothes at Common Threads or to have a clothing request filled and sent to the campus. Each student is provided with new or gently used sets of clothes, socks, undergarments, shoes, toiletry items and backpacks based on availability.
“Jill and her team have helped so many,” said Dr. Randle. “It often goes unnoticed by the general population, but I know those folks that are able to start school with the right clothing are appreciative of all Common Threads does.”
Getting Involved
Parents, student organizations and community members are all welcome to volunteer at Common Threads. Volunteers can help at the campus level by assisting the school nurse with clothing drives and organizing the donations. They can also volunteer at Common Threads and assist with washing, folding and sorting clothes, filling orders and assisting parents and students with clothing selections.
For more information about Common Threads, call 832-595-4540 or email Jill Duban at jduban@lcisd.org.
Help Replenish Common Threads’ Campus Store
After the August Back-To-School Drive, Common Threads’ stock needs to be replenished. Summer and winter clothes are accepted year round and can be dropped off in the blue donation box at Common Threads located at 710 Houston Street in Richmond or any Lamar CISD campus.
Donation Opportunities
Common Threads relies on donations and contributions from local businesses and community members. The organization also sponsors various drives during the year to keep items in stock for students, and all donations are tax deductible.
Items Can Be New orGently Used and Include:
• Clothing, especially School Uniforms size 4-XXL
• New Socks and Undergarments
• Shoes
• Toiletries (soap, shampoo, tooth brushes, toothpaste, deodorant)
• Coats
• Backpacks
• Tax Deductible Donations
Contact Common Threads
For more information about Common Threads, call 832-595-4540 or email at Jill Duban at jduban@lcisd.org.