Back-to-school shopping out on recess
halt on clothing allowance sparks concern for local parents, others
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MORGANTOWN – Adrianne Dering, Morgantown resident, worked at Gabriel Brothers 20 years ago, where she directly sorted receipts for purchases using clothing vouchers. She recalls sifting through piles of receipts, where families bought everything from "five pairs of underwear in all different sizes," to "new athletic shoes they wouldn't be able to afford otherwise."
"You could see inside the minds of people buying things," she said. "Every receipt told a story."
WV Works, West Virginia's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides a monthly cash stipend to eligible families for assistance with healthcare, nutrition and educational opportunities, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services website at bfa.wv.gov/wv-works.
Approximately $98.8 million of the $110 million state's TANF block grant goes toward monthly cash assistance programs, including the School Clothing Allowance (SCA). The SCA allows qualified families to apply for a $200 clothing voucher for essential school clothing.
The fiscal year 2027 budget for TANF programs was approximately $137 million, according to wv.gov., a $38 million deficit.
On July 1, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced a $370 revenue surplus at the conclusion of FY 2026. Due to this announcement, the TANF deficit came as a surprise to lawmakers and West Virginia residents.
Morrisey alleged that the TANF programs have a history of being abused, and distributed EBT cards were being unethically used to buy "beer and cigarettes," despite no tangible evidence to support this claim.
According to Dering, Morrisey's statement is "ridiculous" and "beyond disgusting."
"They use that money for something that was important to them and important to their children," Dering said. "I never saw anything that looked like someone was buying adult clothes with that money, someone that was being wasteful with it. I saw bras and panties and socks and shoes."
The West Virginia Department of Human Services announced that SCA applications would be accepted until Aug. 15, or until funding was fully allocated. Applications traditionally open at the beginning of July.
This year, applications did not open until July 20, three weeks late. According to the release, applications would close on July 27 at 11:59 p.m. due to exhausted funds.
Mickey Glendenning-Loudin of Fairmont applied for the voucher the day it opened and is still awaiting approval. She is frustrated that those already receiving state benefits have to apply separately this year, despite being automatically enrolled in years past.
Glendenning-Loudin is the mother of two girls, whom she is homeschooling this year. She said she was worried that homeschooled children may soon be excluded from these programs, despite still needing clothing.
"They love going to get new clothes because the styles change every year," she said.
Shayla Phillips, a Morgantown resident and mother of five, was unaware of the application period closing, and was one day late in applying for assistance.
""I've been using it for my children for a couple of years, and I've never seen it happen that quickly," she said. "I've never seen them run out of funding."
Last year, approximately 57,000 applications were processed. This year, there were 52,000.
Phillips was working full-time at a Popeye's restaurant, but recently lost her job due to its closure. She said she has "no idea" how she is going to afford back-to-school shopping this year.
Phillips urges lawmakers to take further consideration of the effect the SCA has on families.
"They just need to be more considerate," she said. "They need to be more considerate of what it is that we need and the help that we need."
Dering expressed concern for West Virginia lawmakers who rely on their own salaries, while diminishing hardworking residents.
"They have not worried about health insurance. They've never worried about their housing. They've not worried about how they're going to pay for gas, how they're going to put food on the table, and to be so far removed from that, and then to kind of look down your nose at people who are struggling and are probably working very, very hard was just very upsetting to me," Dering said.
Caci Petrehen, District 3 candidate for State Senate and mother of four, agreed.
"I think what's happening right now is we have a legislature that is hyperfocused on putting corporate interests before the actual people of the state, which is wildly unacceptable," she said.
Her goal in running for State Senate is to build a West Virginia worth staying in, especially for families.
"I started to look at the things that were happening at the state-level, and I was like, 'What have I gotten my family into?'" she said. "In turn, I did what any good mom does who worries about her kids, and I said, 'Ok, let's fix it.'"
Petrehen described her experience using SCA vouchers when she was pregnant with her fourth child and her husband had just lost his job.
"It was a weight off my shoulders," she said. "It was only $200. It doesn't go very far, right? But, it was such a blessing to be able just to send my kids back to school with a few new outfits and some new shoes that actually fit right instead of some summer sandals."
Petrehen was dissatisfied at the communication from the state government when closing the application portal early, as West Virginia's percentage of children raised by grandparents or people who may not have Internet access is high.
"We have a lot of grandfamilies in our state, and I think that's something that we don't talk about enough," she said. "These people are not hyperconnected to the Internet like most other parents. They're grandparents just trying their best to raise children in a world that is different from when they were raising kids. Cutting it off just suddenly was a huge disservice to a large demographic of people that are truly just doing their best to survive."
There are multiple organizations in Monongalia County that provide free assistance for families in need, regardless of their financial situations. Christian Help at 219 Walnut St. provides free clothing, food, financial assistance and life skills classes.
Executive Director Colleen Lankford said that many families that use Christian Help have been involved in TANF services and hopes that the organization can be of service to anyone in need.
"It's a program that for over 50 years has been hands and feet on Earth to facilitate people as they need to be facilitated," she said. "If it has taught me anything, it's that people are the same. It doesn't matter if you make $100,000 or if you make $20,000 a year. ...It's also taught me that regardless of income, people need help once in a while."
She said that the voucher closure caught her and many "off guard," but is grateful to provide stability for her community in times of need.
"You don't expect those circumstances, and so we're here to help people identify and prioritize what their needs are, so that they can move on in a positive manner."
Other local clothing and back-to-school donation services include Hazel's House of Hope at 20 Scott Ave. in Morgantown and the Salvation Army at 1512 Locust Ave. in Fairmont.