BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

School starts soon, and glossy circulars advertise trendy jeans, bright backpacks and SpongeBob folders.

The average parent spends $563.49 on back-to-school goods, according to a National Retail Federation Survey.

For parents staying at the region's homeless shelter in Fredericksburg, that money could be most of the first month's rent on a place to stay.

So scraping up the cash for new clothes, underwear, composition notebooks and glue sticks is an added stress for them, said Jasman Dennis, child services coordinator at the Thurman Brisben Center.

Many parents are relieved to hear about School Dressing Days, an annual program, which provides a new outfit, used clothes, school supplies, toiletries and a voucher for shoes to needy families. It starts tomorrow in the fellowship hall at Fredericksburg Baptist Church.

"We dress from Head Start to high school," said Blanche Jefferson, one of the program's organizers.

Dressing Days began in 1971 as a project of the Interfaith Council, a group of about 30 religious organizations. Not much has changed since its early days, said volunteer Jackie Haney. "It has just grown larger."

In the beginning, about 400 kids picked out clothes at Dressing Days. Now, about 900 children are served. They are referred by social services, churches and schools. Some just see fliers and show up.

Each child gets one new outfit, complete with underwear and socks. Then volunteers take the child "shopping" through tables of used clothes set up in the fellowship hall of Fredericksburg Baptist Church.

The best part of Dressing Days, Jefferson said, is the gratitude. "You have some of them that come up and give you a hug or a kiss on the cheek afterward," she said. "This is one of the most outstanding, most needed programs in the area, because we deal with children that really need. That's who we try to serve, and they're very appreciative."

Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Email: aumble@freelancestar.com