For hundreds of Monroe County children, the return to school means embarrassment at last year's hand-me-downs, shoes that are a size too small and pens bearing bank and prescription logos.

The Just 4 Kids organization is fixing that -- one kid at a time -- by filling backpacks with school supplies, new clothes, shoes and hygiene items for kids in hardship situations.

Paula Ciavolino, founder of Just 4 Kids, spends evenings and weekends in a cramped storage room the Monroe County School District has donated at its administrative headquarters. The shelves are lined with rubber bins containing clothes of all sizes for kids of all sizes.

Girls' sundresses hang from a rack, alongside men's button-down shirts, while packages of underwear and socks occupy their own shelf.

"I've already gotten 200 referrals from agencies such as Wesley House Family Services and Big Brothers-Big Sisters, which let me know what kids need help and their specific needs," Ciavolino said. She is concerned that teachers will flood her with even more referrals now that school is open.

Teachers at all Monroe County schools are encouraged to obtain a referral form from the school's guidance office, specify the child's needs and hand it back to the counselor. Ciavolino and some volunteers assemble a backpack with the necessary items in the right sizes. A courier delivers the backpacks to the schools, where counselors discreetly distribute them.

"These clothes and items are for all kids in all schools and in all the social service agencies," Ciavolino said, so Just 4 Kids is able to avoid duplication of services.

Needs arising from Hurricane Wilma last year has exhausted much of the donations Ciavolino had received; she distributed clothes, bedding, school supplies and toiletries to more than 2,000 storm-affected children.

"I don't have clothes in the sizes I need most," she said, adding she needs new clothes for kids in middle school and high school.

The clothing need not be designer or expensive, but should be age-appropriate so the recipient will feel comfortable and confident wearing it.

"I also need binders, composition books and pencil sharpeners, and I only have four backpacks left," she said, as her son, Gianni, explored the depths of the storage area.

Gianni, a second grader at Gerald Adams Elementary, said he helps his mother with her orders when he can, but has trouble finding the right sizes of clothing.

Ciavolino hopes to have the first 200 referrals from social services agencies put together and handed out by the end of the week so she can begin filling orders from the schools.

Donations are being accepted at all First State Bank, TIB and Key West Bank locations in Monroe County. Office Max also has a collection box in the Key West store, and Ciavolino has an office at Horace O'Bryant Middle School.

Donations of gift cards for Ross, Sears and Payless are also helpful, she said.

Ciavolino regularly picks up the donations in a van donated by Niles Sales and Service, and restocks the storage area that soon will be filling with hurricane supplies, baby formula and inflatable mattresses.

"I started this just for the kids," she said. "Take the parents and their situations out of the picture. I don't care where the parents' check comes from or what financial aid they receive, the kid could still be standing there the first day of school with no clothes on their backs."