Working to prepare children in need across Cassia and Minidoka counties for the start of school, the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation will host their sixth annual Julie’s Clothes for Kids event on Aug. 7 from 6:30 – 10:30 a.m.
The initiative — which is held at the Walmart parking lot on 385 Overland Avenue in Burley, Idaho — enlists members of the community to help students shop for clothes. The volunteers and children are given a $150 gift card to purchase school clothes. Once they’ve finished shopping, students are given a backpack filled with school supplies and hygiene items.
“Julie’s Clothes for Kids is an event that means so much to us as a foundation,” said Tami Olsen, the director of Young Caring for Our Young. “Each year, we not only increase the amount of children we help, but how many volunteers we work with as well. Young Caring for Our Young is dedicated to creating an army for good across communities. This event is incredibly effective at engaging the community to make a difference in children’s lives.”
Working alongside the Young Automotive Group’s three Burley locations, the event gathers hundreds of volunteers across the dealerships as well as the community. In 2023, over 250 individuals attended Julie’s Clothes for Kids — helping 234 children.
“One of the things I love most about the Young Automotive Group is our focus on charity,” said Mike Gailey, Young Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat Burley’s general manager. “Every time Julie’s Clothes for Kids comes around, there’s a certain feeling of gratitude across our dealership. Giving back to a community we know and love is something incredibly important to us, and we’re grateful for opportunities like this to do that.”
Founded in 2019, Julie’s Clothes for Kids was started as a tribute to Julie Breshears, who passed away in 2018. Breshears was actively involved with the schools, and several members of her family have worked with the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation to hold this event in her honor.
This year, the Young Automotive Group is not only celebrating six years of Julie’s Clothes for Kids, but 100 years of business as well. Established in 1924 by Seldon “Jack” Olsen, the company has grown from a single Utah location to an operation with over 30 franchises across three states — four of which are in Idaho.
In 2007, leaders at the Young Automotive Group founded the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation. A nonprofit 501 (c)(3), the foundation facilitates all of the company’s community involvement projects.
“Working with our Idaho dealerships is something we always look forward to,” Olsen said. “They’re incredibly passionate about their communities, and are invested in making a difference however they can.”
