NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – An elementary school student in North Charleston is going the extra mile to make sure no child at her school goes without essential clothing this winter.
Whether because of a messy spill, colder weather or a lack of funds, Eagle Nest Elementary third-grade teacher Emma Trudgeon wants to be prepared.
Trudgeon has been teaching for about seven years, four of those at Eagle Nest Elementary.
“Teaching is pretty much my passion its been my passion since I was a very young kid,” Trudgeon said.
So she knows that sometimes in elementary school, messes can happen, and students will need a fresh jacket or pair of pants.
“Lots of kids will spill on themselves at lunch or if they have an accident,” Trudgeon says.
But she says clothes can also be needed for reasons much deeper.
“I know that I’ve seen kids that are coming into school with, like, shoes that are too small or shorts that are too small,” she says. “Some families don’t have the funds to provide them with clothes especially clothes that are warm in the winter months.”
She decided to start an effort to stock a closet at Eagle Nest Elementary with all the clothing necessities, including winter gear, for all ages.
“It would be nice to just have that piece of mind for them if they say you know I need another shirt, they can go and get another shirt,” Trudgeon says.
Her inspiration is one of the students at Eagle Nest Elementary.
“There was a little girl in another grade level who was playing so hard out at gym that she destroyed her shoes,” Trudgeon says. “I wasn’t sure if she had any other shoes at home, she wasn’t in my class and I didn’t know her. And I don’t know if her parents would be able to provide that for her. So, I went to the store and was able to get some shoes and some socks for her and things like that.”
Trudgeon says she wants this closet to be available to the entire school, not just her classroom.
“I think it would make me feel really good just knowing that I can make a difference,” Trudgeon says.
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