How the Campaign Works

Drop Your Drawers provides an opportunity to benefit children and educate communities about a real need in their schools. Clean underwear that fits is a problem for many students in schools. The reasons are varied, but a short list includes accidents in school, medical issues, transient/homeless issues and financial issues. The campaign also helps solidify and enhance library relationships with local schools and the community at large.

First Steps

Partner with your local schools to identify needs in your area. Schools may employ educators, such as Family Resource Center Coordinators, who provide services that keep children in the classroom to learn. Establishing strong relationships and partnerships with school personnel who focus on eliminating non-cognitive barriers to learning is essential.

Identify a Need

Confirm with your local schools that donations of underwear would indeed be helpful. The idea is to collect whatever will help keep children in the classroom learning, within the bounds of what your library is able to collect, store and eventually distribute. Our library expanded to begin collecting socks in addition to underwear in 2019 at the request of the schools.

Donations

Decide what items you will accept. Determine any specifics:

  • Items for both boys and girls
  • Particular sizes
  • Only new and unopened packages

Promote specifics so people who donate are confident that what they purchase will be useful. You will also need to choose if you will accept monetary donations to purchase items.

Who Receives Donations?

Your library can donate to any entity that will connect children with the donated items. Some libraries work with public schools, parochial schools or other nonprofits. You should make it clear in your promotions what entities will receive the donations.

Timing the Campaign

The campaign can be conducted at any time of the year. Some libraries have found better success during the high-traffic summer months. However, summer is typically a busy time for libraries and staff may be maxed out. Choose the timing of your campaign carefully, make it a centerpiece of publicity during the campaign time frame and stick with the same time each year. Consistency is best.

 How-to Guide

Download the complete How-to Guide.