Olivia Rosemann
Contributing Writers
Experiential Learning class and Future Leaders collected over 3,000 clothing items in a week long drive last summer.
The clothes were donated Refresh is a re-sale shop and a portion of its profit is donated to Foster and Adoption Care Coalition to help get children out of foster care and into permanent families.
“Refresh has allowed kids to go and buy affordable clothing without feeling down on themselves,” said Anna Bird, sophomore.
Two students in the Experiential Learning class, Claire Gilb, freshman, and Bird, did a series of service projects around town and were required to do a final project for the Experiential Learning class.
“We went and talked to the people at Refresh, and that’s how we got the idea to do a clothing drive,” said Bird. “At future leaders we divided into groups, and each group of pacers had a different job. There was a group of about six or seven of us involved in counting and sorting the clothing,” said Bird.
Not much clothing was brought in until Thursday. “Tuesday we had a couple items of clothes. We were able to get everything sorted and done before noon. It was all done in about an hour or two. Wednesday was pretty much the same. We didn’t get very many. Thursday everybody brought in clothes, every single kid,” said Bird.
The clothing took up every table in the library, and everything had to be sorted, put into garbage bags, loaded into cars, and taken to Refresh by 10 a.m. This left only three hours to get everything done.
“We were rushing around to get it done, and everyone was participating. Anyone with free time and a spare hand was helping to sort clothes and get everything organized,” said Bird.
“I thought they might get about 1,000, but 3,000…wow!” said Jenni Vanderwalker, Experiential Learning Class teacher and Future Leaders sponsor.
