CAP

A JCPS middle school is hosting an August event for grandparents and wants to send them home with bags of new household items.

A JCPS elementary school needs special incentive items to reward good student behavior. Another JCPS elementary school is hosting a parent empowerment forum and wants to offer the attendees door prizes like a new air fryer or a new Keurig.

These requests from all over the school district have been arriving at CAP for the past few weeks as the school year has shifted back into gear. We’ve been keeping all of these requests.

On Fri., Aug. 14, CAP volunteer and JCPS retiree Julie Waterman assembled 45 boxes for nine JCPS locations. They were methodically filled with new items that CAP has acquired through corporate donors.

The ability to fill these boxes with new Keurigs, Owalas, household items, new Bombas socks, and other treats has taken ten years of steady work. The corporate donor program at CAP allows schools to provide these bonus and incentive items without the extra work of asking local businesses or school families to contribute. Schools will still benefit from local business support, but CAP allows employees to not use personal or work time to find these opportunities. Because we’ve already found it for them.

An elementary school Family Resource Center coordinator is launching a Girls on the Run group at her school. This program gathers third- and fourth-grade girls to experience the camaraderie of running with their peers and ultimately running their first 5K. It focuses more on teambuilding and discipline than competition. Many of these girls would not run on a school’s cross-country team, but they will benefit from the experience of working toward a shared goal and accomplishing it together. CAP’s support means that the girls will receive new matching insulated water bottles, hair ties, and new Bombas socks.

CAP received seven pallets last week from two corporate donors and an additional pallet of school supplies from an apartment complex, which means that 170 pallets of new items have arrived at CAP since January 1. Since 2018, CAP has received 1,070 pallets of new items, which is about 45 fully loaded tractor-trailer trucks.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division Bombas 15th District PTA

Thank you to the Lodges on English Station Road. Residents at the east Louisville apartment complex, located at 14500 English Park Circle, donated several boxes and bags of new school supplies and backpacks to JCPS students.

Many families at the complex are either Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) families or know them and realize that these donations will help others. They were delivered on Fri., Aug. 14, to CAP because we are hosting hundreds of families for appointments in the coming weeks. These donations will go to these families.

Thank you also to Tony Mitchell with Chase Marketing. Tony lives near the apartment complex, heard about their donation campaign, and offered to deliver the items to CAP.

Many JCPS employees and families are familiar with Tony. Chase Marketing helps many JCPS schools and programs in addition to other businesses with custom printed apparel and other promotional items.

Tony is more than just a JCPS vendor. He is also a CAP donor. He often donates extra new shirts and other items to CAP because he knows the district and the variety of needs. He donated about 100 new T-shirts when he visited on Fri., Aug. 14. Tony has donated to CAP in previous school years too.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA Chase Marketing Inc. The Lodges on English Station Road

We hope it was a good first full week of school. On Wed., Aug. 12, we hosted 114 families. CAP has served more than 1,000 families with clothing, uniforms, shoes, basics (socks and underwear), and hygiene products since July 23. And we're planning for another 114 families on Wed., Aug. 19.

Thank you to the four ladies (and future JCPS student) from Coral Ridge Elementary PTA who helped tag clothing and get us organized on Wed., Aug. 12. Coral Ridge Elementary is the first JCPS school—hopefully the first of many—to send a PTA group this school year.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division Coral Ridge Elementary 15th District PTA

Thank you to Seven and Jake, 2026 graduates of DuPont Manual High School/Youth Performing Arts School. They both head to college soon, but they volunteered at CAP on Thurs., July 30, when they learned we were short on volunteers for the third day of our Back-to-School Blitz. Seven has served as a frequent CAP volunteer since she was in elementary school.

This was the same day of a large districtwide meeting that prevented FRYSCs from volunteering at CAP that morning. Thank you to Sammi Lawson, FRC coordinator at Rangeland Elementary who still made it to CAP later that afternoon to help us greet some of the 114 families.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA

This is Jane Steffler, a retired kindergarten teacher who started volunteering at CAP during the 2025-26 school year. She moved to Louisville to be closer to family after a career in the Chicago area.

We had a donation of children’s books from two JCPS students on Wednesday morning, and Jane arranged the books into a carefully curated collection that is sure to attract some curious children. The books are displayed today as we begin day three of the Back-to-School Blitz.

We have 114 families scheduled to visit CAP today where they receive new clothing, new socks and underwear, and new shoes in addition to gently used clothing, hygiene items, and school lunches.

CAP is more than a place that gives things away for free. It allows talented people to give their time and talent to help others. Thank you, Jane, and all who volunteer at CAP.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA

The Clothing Assistance Program (CAP) hosted the first day of the Back-to-School Blitz on Thurs., July 23.

We packed bags of new underwear, new socks, new uniforms, belts, and new shoes for students in 114 families. After families collected those, they then browsed a warehouse full of new and gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, uniforms, hygiene products, and other bonus items.

As an opening day surprise, all families in attendance received a new water bottle for every enrolled student in their household. These included many popular insulated Owala bottles that students enjoy. The water bottles were acquired thanks to Julie Waterman, a retired JCPS teacher who has volunteered 10 years at CAP.

Student in attendance also received a school meal, thanks to JCPS School & Community Nutrition Services.

CAP received support from several dedicated JCPS employees on Wed., July 22 to prepare for the opening and then to host the opening day on Thurs., July 23.

The four-day Blitz—hosted during the next two weeks—has filled, but CAP will offer special weekday opportunities for parents/guardians to collect basics (socks and underwear), uniforms, and gently used clothing on two Wednesdays after school begins.

Today we answered a question from a student that comes up a few times each year: "Where do we pay?"

CAP has never charged for any services. Items are provided by donors large and small so that families are better equipped for the school year. There has never been a charge since CAP started in 1971.

CAP is a partnership between the 15th District Parent Teacher Association and the JCPS Opportunity & Access Department.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA Carter Traditional Elementary School PTA Slaughter Elementary School

We created this short video for employees in JCPS who schedule families for the Clothing Assistance Program (CAP). We work closely all year with Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) coordinators, but anyone with a JCPS email address can schedule a family to receive CAP services.

We provided items to more than 6,000 JCPS students in the 2025-26 school year, and we hosted multiple events that served thousands more. The Back-to-School Blitz will be held for four days leading up to the start of the 2026-27 school year. The Blitz is designed for students who attend schools that require a uniform. We'll give out uniform pants, a uniform shirt, socks, underwear, and a belt. Families may also browse our warehouse, filled with helpful new and gently used items. Classes begin on Thurs., Aug. 6.

Scheduling for the Blitz begins on Thurs., July 16. If it fills, don't worry. We offer services all school year, and families are eligible to receive services twice during the school year.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA

We see lots of questions on Facebook about which Jefferson County Public Schools sites have uniform requirements. For best results, check with your child's school about specific dress code policies. We're happy to share this reference document that we prepare every year and use multiple times a day at CAP.

*** This attached document was updated on 7/19/26 to reflect Hudson Upper Academy ***

This may help answer some basic questions about uniforms at school, and hopefully it will help families prepare for the upcoming school year, which begins on Thurs., Aug. 6.

Remember, CAP offers all JCPS families a free uniform shirt and pants to those who attend uniform schools. We also have loads of gently used uniform pants, shorts, shirts, skirts, and jumpers. We are finalizing details of the 2026 back-to-school blitz and will share those very soon.

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JCPS Opportunity & Access Division 15th District PTA