TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Some local middle school students and their teachers saw a need in their community and decided to do something about it. They opened a clothing closet at their school so no one has to feel uncomfortable about their clothes.
This all started when a new teacher came to the school with the idea that she'd bring a closet to Hoover Middle School just like they had at her old school, Kenmore East.
In the past, if you needed to change clothes during the school day at Hoover Middle School, you had to go to the nurse's office.
"We had two bureaus full of clothes if they fell in the mud, or they were cold, or just in lunch they got something spilled," counselor Elizabeth Cipolla said.
But recently, a small room opened up. Cipolla says a new teacher helped make the closet happen.
"My assistant principal, Miss Jaros, said that there was a new FACS teacher coming over, her name is Miss Schifo, and that she had done a closet at Kenmore East, and she wanted to collaborate with me to create the Hoover closet," Cipolla said.
The students were on board right away. They wash, fold, and organize the clothes by color.
"We did a commercial and we marketed it," student Katerina Koudounas said.
Student Christian Cipolla added: "Just so other people know about it and everybody in the school has the chance to get it."
Added student Grace Noe: "Because some kids maybe they can't afford to buy something or even if they get something on their shirt and they need an extra shirt during the school day."
Elizabeth Cipolla said, "They can either speak to their counselor or they can, there's a drop box they can drop their name in, and we'll go through it and get the kids down individually so they can shop."
This not only helps kids in need, it's a way to keep clothes out of the landfills.
"Instead of buying new, use what's good and what's current. I don't want it to be necessarily only on a need basis. Some of it might be just like exchanging and wanting something new, and if it could help out parents' pocketbooks, then that's, you know, a great perk," Elizabeth Cipolla said.
If you have clothes to donate that you think middle schoolers would like, email the counselor first that way donations don't pile up outside the school.