Send’em Off Smiling was established in 1994 by a group of local women who had observed the visible impact of poverty on school-age children in their communities and wanted to make a difference.

They spent time speaking with local teachers, and emerged with an understanding of the importance of that first day of school in setting up a long-lasting attitude towards school and peers. They recognized that a child with a good start was far more likely to succeed. They put a small program in place to ensure that some of the neediest children could experience a better start to the school year…and the rest is history.

Our Mission

Our mission is to set children in need on a more hopeful path, by outfitting them with clothing and school supplies, intended to send’em off smiling on that first day of school each September.