Stephanie Spear 
Inside a nondescript office building in Arlington, visitors to one office suite might hear music playing, children laughing and talking, and the pleasant buzz of an afternoon of shopping. That’s the goal of The Clothesline for Arlington Kids, a non-profit organization providing high-quality clothing and footwear to children in need. The organization was founded by Arlington parents Ellen Moy and Ben Sessions. Read on for more about Clothesline Arlington and how its making a difference for local families.
The Idea
Arlington mom Ellen Moy noticed the problem when dropping her children off at school. The problem being, children inappropriately dressed for the weather. “It was very cold and I saw a student wearing essentially a poncho,” she said. “It wasn’t enough.” Ellen knew that her children had many pieces of seasonally-appropriate, unworn clothing that she could donate. She contacted the school for a way to connect these clothes with students who need them.
“The more I looked into it, the more I realized there is a gap in the community,” Ellen said. “No organization was providing this service of connecting clothing to children in need.” So many organizations were geared towards adults or provided resources in a way that would be hard for the intended recipients to access. Ellen started researching how to set up an organization to connect the dots and found Clothes to Kids in Florida. “It should be simple,” Ellen said. “To connect people with surplus clothing to families who need it.”
Clothesline co-founders Ben Sessions and Ellen Moy. Photo courtesy of Clothesline.
Ellen and Ben are particularly well-suited to run an organization like this. Ben’s background is in business development, and Ellen has over 20 years of experience in fashion merchandising and retail. As Ellen learned more about what kind of organization she wanted to create, Ben helped with the business plan and other operations.
They traveled to Tampa Bay, Florida, to meet with the team behind Clothes to Kids. “Their model really helped us decide what we wanted next,” Ellen said. Clothes to Kids had created a fun, clean space for children to have a positive experience picking out clothing. “No one was sorting through bags; everything was organized,” she said.
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Clothesline began in 2017. The goal was, and still is, to provide clothing to school-aged children of low-income families in Arlington by connecting these families with high-quality donations from the community. Initially, Ben and Ellen tapped their own personal network to get clothing donations. Once their (and some friends’ and neighbors’) basements were filled with donations, they found an affordable space to get started. Over time, they grew out of the space and now have an office suite in the Virginia Square neighborhood of Arlington.
How it Works
Clothesline runs on donations of clothing and cash. Clothing must be clean and in good condition. Supporters can also purchase clothing via Clothesline’s online wish lists. The organization gets an occasional grant from the County, but is mostly funded through private donors. Ellen’s experience in retail means that each shopping dollar gets stretched as far as possible. “I’m always watching the sales or waiting until the end of the season to make a purchase,” she said.
Ellen says that she is “extremely picky” in what gets put out on the racks. “Everything is merchandized here, it’s organized, it’s an inviting shopping experience,” Ellen said. “We get truly amazing donations, many items are in good shape and some even have tags on them.” Ellen works with other local organizations to use clothing that isn’t a fit for Clothesline. Clothesline will sometimes partner with other local organizations for an item-specific drive, such as coats or shoes.
A volunteer poses with a donation. Photo courtesy of Clothesline.
The clothing is organized by gender, size, and type. The space is clean and colorful, and clients can visit once a season. Clothesline has two seasons: spring/summer and fall/winter. Clients are connected with Clothesline through school social workers, other non-profits, and word-of-mouth from prior clients. The shopping is done by appointment only, so it’s never too crowded in the store. Clients can also shop online, which was a COVID-related pivot that has stuck.
Clients must qualify to shop at Clothesline:
- Present a current Free & Reduced Meal qualification letter from Arlington Public Schools indicating the child’s name.
- Present a referral letter from a school social worker, a local social services organization, or a place of worship.
- If the child attends a community eligibility school, parents may present a screenshot of the child’s current class schedule in ParentVue.
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Ellen and Ben are especially proud of the Shoe Room. “After the first year, it became clear that families, while they were very happy that the wardrobes, footwear was a key part of the wardrobe. They would come in with their toes sticking out of their shoes, flip-flops in the winter, or wearing slippers,” Ben said. Over time, Clothesline has devoted more of its budget to purchasing new shoes.
Socks and underwear are always new-in-package, and there is an overflow room that has some random but fun items. On our visit, we saw some sports gear, new-in-package makeup, and some Halloween costumes.
Volunteers are always needed at Clothesline. Some tasks include sorting through donations, keeping the store clean, assisting clients, picking up donations from stores and off-site locations, and pretty much any and everything. “Sometimes you’ll just be holding a baby while the mom helps another one of her kids shop,” Ellen said.
The Shopping Experience
At the core of the Clothesline experience is dignity. “Kids can pick out their own clothes, and really feel like they have a choice,” Ben said. “And the parents have a great time because the kids are happy.” Shopping appointments are available from Wednesday through Saturday, and families can shop once per season. Online shopping is available for clients who can’t make it to the store.
Each child is guaranteed:
- 5 tops
- 4 bottoms
- 5 new pairs socks
- 5 new pairs underwear (underwear only once per year)
As available, they can also select:
- 1 pr Shoes
- 1 Coat or jacket
- 1 pr Pajamas
- 2 dressy items
- 1 Swimsuit in spring/summer
- Hat/gloves/scarf in fall/winter
- 3 accessories
- 2 bras
The volume of items that each client can take means that there is a constant churn of inventory. “We’re always hustling,” Ellen said. “We know that at the end of the week, we need more. If a family comes in with four children, that’s 20 shirts gone in one visit,” About 15 to 20 families shop at Clothesline each week, and Ben and Ellen say that on the ‘off days’, volunteers are scrambling to restock the racks.
The net effect here is a welcoming, upbeat space that genuinely feels like a retail store. Cheerful music plays, and the space is well-lit. There are changing rooms to try on items, and the clients get shopping bags, just like at a traditional retail shop. Volunteers are on hand to assist clients.
There are choices for boys and girls in a wide range of sizes, and the choices are good ones. Ellen’s deliberate selections mean that clients have items that appeal to kids and teens. “I knew that if you present it in a dignified way, people will want it. And not only that, people would love to give away their clothes,” Ellen said. “Get [the clothes] out of the closet, knowing that it will go to a low-income family.”
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