EDITOR’S NOTE: This was originally posted on May 16, 2010.
It’s tough to be a kid, even under normal circumstances. But for children undergoing hardships at home, the pressure to fit in can be overwhelming. When they don’t have enough school clothes or even pencils, the worry and self-consciousnes are big distractions from learning.
It’sJust4Kids, a charity based at Boca Middle School and run by a Boca mom, aims to supply those kids with the things they need — backpacks, supplies, socks, underwear, school uniforms, etc. The organization gets referrals from school guidance counselors and agencies, who send a list of needs for a particular child. It’sJust4Kids fills a backpack and sends it back so it goes directly to the child, delivered discreetly, so classmates don’t have to know.
Lest you think there isn’t a big need for this here in the suburbs of plenty, consider this: Last year, It’sJust4Kids served 1,680 kids in Palm Beach County, about 600 of them in Boca Raton. 600! That’s more than half the student body of an elementary school.
Many families here have been hit hard by the recession. Parents have lost jobs. Single parents are struggling. And when illness strikes, not only does a parent lose the ability to work and care for the kids, but the kids may have to take care of the ailing parent.
“People need to recognize that these kids are struggling and they need help,” said Paula Ciavolino, 
who founded It’sJust4Kids in the Keys and moved to Boca with it three years ago. “Right down the street. You’re just not seeing it.”
Ciavolino, who has a master’s degree in early childhood education, started the organization in 1993 in Key West. A couple of years before, living in New York at age 27, she’d been badly beaten up by a cabdriver. During her long recovery, her husband, Richard, a musician, answered a call to play in Key West. They decided to stay. Paula Ciavolino started volunteering at the Key West Children’s Shelter, but realized she could do more.
“I saw there was a huge need, and I wanted to do something about it,” she said. The Keys program grew to include arts and anti-bullying education.
A few years ago, Palm Beach County School officials asked her to bring It’sJust4Kids to Palm Beach County. Needing a higher level of care for her ailing back — she’s had three spinal surgeries lately — Ciavolino decided to move to Boca with her three kids, 19- and 11-year-old sons and a 14-year-old daughter. Her husband is still working in the Keys, and she still runs It’sJust4Kids there.
Last week, she got an envelope bulging with thank you notes from local kids, including this one: “I used to ask my friend for pencils. Now I have my own pencils.”
How to help
The organization is running low on school supplies. And even though the school year is almost over, volunteers will spend the summer stocking up for fall. Here are their biggest needs:
- New summer clothes for kids of all sizes.
- New school supplies — backpacks, pencils, rulers, paper, etc.
- Gift cards. Volunteers can use these to shop to fit individual needs — and the money can go farther with the organization’s tax-exempt status.
- A source for new sneakers. Does anyone have a connection with a shoe wholesaler or manufacturer?
- New school clothes in all sizes (khakis and polo shirts for elementary school kids, appropriate styles for older kids).
- Volunteers to help with PR, fundraising, organizing supplies, communicating with schools and special projects like participating in events and rebuilding its website.
You can drop off donations or mail them to Boca Middle School, 1251 NW Eighth St. Learn more at the organization’s website or send an email to itsjust4kids@aol.com.
ItsJust4Kids is having a fundraiser on May 27: 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Blue Martini at Town Center Mall. $15 a person includes one cocktail and light appetizers. Everyone who brings an item to donate — new school clothes, new shoes, school supplies or a gift card — will be entered into a drawing for a prize.
