Why we’ll never get over undies
one pair somewhere
could be just the change
a child needs
Underwear insecurity makes everything about the school day harder. It’s hard to concentrate on learning or make a friend when a child is afraid they will be “discovered” without undies. With the help of volunteers and donors UFE makes a school day easier with 7 pairs of undies.
mission statement
Undies for Everyone provides children living in poverty or crisis
with new underwear,
recognizing the importance of this small basic need as part of a child’s increased chances of
long-term success.
A brief history
Founding Undies for Everyone
One social worker’s observation started the Undies for Everyone revolution—she said that children in need do not have new underwear. Rabbi Amy Weiss highlighted the issue in a Houston Chronicle blog post (2008) and the rest is history.
Undies for Everyone became a registered nonprofit in 2012, when 9,000 pairs were delivered to Houston’s school district headquarters, enthusiastically received by administrators. With each passing year, more area school district nurses’ departments were added, serving students with spare pair access after an accident.
Serving More Kids
Recognizing that many children’s underwear drawers are empty, UFE began serving children in a new way, strategically partnering with 5 large social service agencies, giving kids more undies. The UFE board voted to increase number of pairs per child, adding one pair per year, capping at 5 pairs in a bag (for the moment!).
UFE also welcomed Dallas into the fold, sending undies to every elementary and middle school nurse in the school district. We mastered the art of shipping, making way for even more expansion- and given events coming in 2017, that was a good thing.
We’re still a one-person operation!
Disaster Relief
Hurricane Harvey forever changed UFE, responding to massive need with undies from very generous donors from all over the world. Over 1.4 million pairs of Disaster Relief underwear to affected men women and children were delivered, processed, and distributed, in four months’ time. Shortly after, UFE stepped up again, serving victims of more disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and Florence and devastating fires in California.
It was time to go big.
National Expansion
With seven employees working hard every day, UFE is serving children in 15 cities (9 states), solidifying partnerships with federally mandated school district homeless departments, Child Protective Services and where available, food banks’ children’s programs and children’s hospitals’ pediatric mobile units. Distributing through organizations serving many children is one strategy UFE uses to help more children quickly.
In 2021, over 100,000 students across the United States are each receiving 7 pairs of undies. We couldn’t do it without you!
Talk about a big year!
“When students [in need] attend school their attention, participation and engagement are drastically impacted when then feel and know that their appearance and hygiene are compromised.”
Austin ISD Project Help
“as you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands – one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
Audrey Hepburn
Our Team
andrea pogach
strategic partnerships and distribution
Luna
OFFICE DOG
Obie
OFFICE DOG
Skyler
OFFICE DOG
Polly
office dog
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Megan A. Ryan
Community Volunteer
vice chair
Stephanie Magers
Chevron
treasurer
Rebekah herman
PNC Bank
Secretary
Jason Buchman
AlphaGen
past chair
Lisset Garza
Shell Energy, Retired
Member
Dominique D. Calhoun
Calhoun, Meredith & Sims, PLLC
Member
Barry Mandel
Discovery Green Conservancy, Retired
Member
June Deadrick
CenterPoint Energy
Member
Jim Grace
Grace McEwan Consultants
Member
Jamie Kaplan
AstraZeneca
Member
Sanghamitra Misra, MD
Texas Children’s Hospital
Member
Mark Parsons
NRG
Member
cyndy garza roberts
Comcast, Retired
Member
Jay Aiyer
Harris County DA Office
Member
Noemi Scantlebury
United Airlines
Member
Jaclyn Goodell
ConocoPhillips
Member
evan wildstein
Every Texan
Advisory Board
Dr. Brené Brown
University of Houston
Gwen Johnson
Houston ISD
Elyse Kalmans
Founding UFE Board Chair
Anne Murphy
GCPP
eduardo rios
Prairie View A&M
Mimi Swartz
Texas Monthly
Sponsors
