MARYSVILLE — Members of the Marysville Chapter of Soroptimist International recently presented a check for $1,500 to the Marysville-based Kloz 4 Kidz.

Kloz 4 Kidz provides free clothing to school-age children in need in the Marysville area, and donations of new or gently used clothing are always appreciated.

“I feel strongly about Kloz 4 Kidz because it’s a grassroots program started by a visionary group of women who recognized the need for all school-age children to have acceptable clothing for school,” Marysville Soroptimist Co-President Teresa Trivett said. “They’ve worked tirelessly to bring their vision to reality. Kloz 4 Kidz has been a huge success, and has clothed literally thousands of children in the greater Marysville community.”

The Soroptimists’ donation will be used by Kloz 4 Kidz to purchase items such as new socks and underwear, since those items can’t be accepted used, while shoes can be donated used.

Kloz 4 Kidz Director Lynn Brittingham expressed her gratitude to the Marysville Chapter of Soroptimist International for helping them provide clothing to children in need.

According to Brittingham, shoes are one of the least donated, most in-demand items at Kloz 4 Kidz, whose volunteers diligently clean used shoes, and all other used items of donated clothing, before placing them on their shelves and racks.

“We wash and mend everything,” Brittingham said. “We will not put out clothes that are missing a zipper or a button. If we wouldn’t hand it out to our own kids, we won’t give it to the families who come to us.”

The Kloz 4 Kidz volunteers’ responsiveness to their client families’ needs is why their informational pamphlets and website are available in both English and Spanish, and why they take care that at least one volunteer is available to escort each child through their selection of clothing items, even when families have multiple children.

“Nobody here is paid,” Brittingham said. “We pay for a phone line and that’s pretty much it. We depend on donations and grants to exist.”

For more information on Kloz 4 Kidz, log onto www.kloz4kidz.org.