ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Another installed Terry's Locker was unveiled Friday. This one is at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria. The dedicated room is a partnership between Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin's charity and UnitedHealthcare.
The dedicated room provides student who need additional support the supplies they need.
"Some things that are essential sometimes fall through the cracks that people don't even realize," McLaurin said.
Terry's Locker will provide students at the elementary school with essential hygiene products. It's also a fully stocked laundry facility where students can get their clothes washed and cleaned, giving both comfort and confidence to these young learners.
"For kids that sometimes come to school when they're very young, sometimes they'll have an accident. They can feel comfortable knowing they'll have clean clothes to wear form the closet and that their clothes will be launder for them," said Marianne Randazzo with UnitedHealth Group.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows more than 45% of students at Mount Vernon Community School receive free or reduced lunch. McLaurin says Terry's Locker ensures students have access to basic necessities required for their health and well-being — resources most of us take for granted.
"I've really always had a passion for giving back and being a part of the community, and fortunately enough I have been able to live out my dream and have a platform to where it's even more important for me to give back any way that I can," McLaurin said.
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt is the superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools. She's thankful for the new addition from the Commanders star.
"It just shows you people really care about our community and our school and when you see our students engage and responding to someone like him it sets up an example as a role model because we want our students to understand that giving back to your community is important," she said.
Friday's unveiling marked the third Terry's Locker installation in underserved schools, including at McKinley Middle School in Northeast D.C.
We were there for that unveiling in July, and spoke to Rasheda Webster, McKinley's assistant principal, about the impact of Terry's Locker on her school.
"It is heartbreaking to know that some of our students come and they are victims of bullying because their clothing is dirty or because their shoes aren't clean," Webster said. "They don't have to stay home or become truant or chronically absent due to not being able to wash their uniforms and their school clothing."
But the work isn't over yet. There are plans to install other Terry's Lockers at schools throughout the region.