Imagine not having enough pairs of clean underwear for a full week of school. Imagine wearing five shirts to school because you do not have a coat even though it is freezing outside. Most of us are fortunate enough to not have to worry about this, but for others, they go through this every single day. 

  Note in the Pocket is a nonprofit organization that provides children in need with clothes. Thanks to this organization, kids can go to school properly dressed and can focus solely on their learning instead of having to worry about things that many people often take for granted. It was started in 2005 by a kindergarten teacher named Margaret. She noticed that many of her students continued to wear short sleeve shirts and shorts as the winter season approached, so she decided to take action. Margaret and her mother set out to make sure each child in her class had a coat to wear once the temperatures dropped even more. Many families did not understand why their children were sent home with a winter coat. The school’s social worker had to prepare a note for each child’s family explaining that the coats were donated from the community and were a gift to the child. 

  Ever since, Note in the Pocket has made it their mission to ensure that no child should be limited in their educational and social development because they do not have appropriate clothes to wear to school. Executive Director Dallas Bonavita said, “When I first started volunteering with Note in the Pocket, I was completely unaware that at that time there were 48,881 students in WCPSS identified as living in poverty.” Currently, Note works with Wake County social workers and case managers from twelve other agencies in the area to serve the homeless and impoverished. 

  In addition, Note offers lots of ways to get involved with the organization. The easiest way to contribute is to donate your clothes to Note in the Pocket. Another way is to volunteer at the clothing process and donation center. The staff will welcome you with open arms, and it is a really fun way to give back to the community. If you are in high school, the nonprofit also has two youth volunteer programs. They offer the Teen Ambassador Program and the Note in the Pocket Teen Board. Junior Cecelia Nobles, a Teen Board member, said, “It has opened my eyes to how powerful a community can be and that there are always opportunities out there to help others in need!” If you are interested in getting involved with either of these programs, applications can be submitted from March 15 to April 30.

  Note in the Pocket will host their 7th Annual Socks and Undie 5K Rundie virtually this year! This means registrants can run or walk anywhere and however they would like. For those who are running the race, they can submit their race times online anytime from Friday, April 24 to Sunday, April 26. In addition to the virtual 5K event, there will still be a virtual Kids Fun Run, costume contest, and social media scavenger hunt! Many people have created individual fundraising pages in honor of Note such as this one. You can also join 5K teams to make it twice as much fun! So, if you are looking for something to do this weekend or just need a reason to get out of your house, be sure to register. For more information, visit Note in the Pocket’s Socks and Undie 5K website here!