Inflation and tariffs challenge Serve Wenatchee’s annual back-to-school clothing event

WENATCHEE — Serve Wenatchee Valley’s 23rd annual Clothes 4 the Classroom event is preparing to serve more than 1,000 low-income students this August, but rising global economic pressures are expected to impact the program’s costs and logistics.

“It can create challenges in two ways,” said Mike Malmin, executive director of Serve Wenatchee. “First, low-income families who were on the margins are now struggling to make ends meet. In addition, our cost to purchase clothing and shoes will likely rise. We have already gone with a new shoe supplier due to tariff issues.”

The event, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9 at Columbia Grove Covenant Church off Sunset Highway, provides children in need with new clothes, shoes, and school supplies. It will run from 8 a.m. to noon, with families required to pre-register to participate.

According to the nonpartisan Budget Lab at Yale University, tariffs and inflation are contributing to increased costs for consumer goods, including clothing and footwear—expenses Serve Wenatchee must absorb or mitigate through donations and vendor partnerships.

Despite economic headwinds, Malmin said the organization remains committed to its mission.

“Our purchaser is working extra hard. And Wenatchee is a generous community that loves to bless children,” Malmin said. “We believe every student, regardless of income, should be able to go to school with a new pair of clothes on that first day. There is a real correlation between self-esteem and academic performance.”

Serve Wenatchee anticipates the average cost per student to be approximately $37, a modest increase that reflects the broader economic climate.

Those interested in donating, volunteering, or seeking more information about the Clothes 4 the Classroom event can visit servewenatchee.org.