Students plan Clothing Closet expansion
The Meyersdale Area School District is planning to expand a special service offered to students in the coming months. The guidance department, along with our onsite social worker and faculty and staff members, have teamed up to collect gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to keep in a room (“closet”) at the school for students in need. Volunteers, including Izabella Sleasman, Karleigh Beal and Sarah Hainsworth have been helping to organize the donations. Organizers hope to be able to expand the location of the Clothing Closet to offer greater convenience and storage options.
A group of dedicated student-volunteers have been working hard to make the Clothing Closet an even bigger success and planned an event to help students learn more about the program. On November 24, students sponsored some holiday fun based on the idea of repurposing and recycling. Students were welcomed to a decorated space complete with Christmas trees, snowmen displays, hot chocolate fixings and craft tables. Free clothing donated by the Meyersdale School District community was available to all students attending. Holiday attire, coats and fall and winter clothing were on display! Attendees painted rocks and the best two were chosen and awarded. Lillian Clark and Allyssa Pritts were awarded top holiday prizes!
All tree decorations used came from recycled materials such as plastic bottles, construction paper, greeting cards, magazine pages and glass jar votives. Students made bracelets, charms and Christmas ornaments and cards. Various students participated in coloring to reduce (holiday) stress. The event was a collaborative effort with Java Wagon and Family and Consumer Sciences. Miniature decorative snowmen were handcrafted by Brenda Christner of Meyersdale and donated to this event. The 20 snowmen all sold for $8 each. The proceeds from the snowmen were donated to Meyersdale Area High School National Honor Society mini-THON!
All participants who made a craft were eligible for the door prize: a backpack filled with holiday specialties. Kennedy Brant, Clothing Closet volunteer, was the winner. This event was part of a fun day for high school students, in which students could choose to compete in a hockey tournament with Ryan Donaldson in the gym, watch a holiday film in the auditorium with Principal John Wiltrout or play cornhole with Doug Horne. The reward day was held on the early dismissal day for Thanksgiving.
According to advisor Terri Karlie, students also hope to have an event such as a fashion show and are considering setting up an online store. “Our Family and Consumer Sciences teacher hopes to incorporate a unit to repurpose clothing and make alterations based on the items her students can find in our “closet!” Planning and hosting such events will be an excellent opportunity for students with an interest in community service, fashion, marketing or consumer sciences.”
The adults involved welcome and encourage these enterprising students and realize this program will not have the potential success without them! “Our student volunteers have tackled this project with great enthusiasm and have plans to expand the Clothing Closet and make it a resource for all students,” Karlie added.