In response to the increasing challenges many families face with rising costs of living, our very own school has launched a Clothing Bank, aiming to provide essential items and resources to students and their families. The inspiration for this comes from the overwhelming need within the community. With housing prices, groceries, and basic needs prices going up, the idea of a local resource center seemed like a great way to make a meaningful impact.

The Clothing Bank at Sahuaro is designed to support families and students with various necessities. The goal is to offer items that can help with some of the financial burdens people are currently facing. Mr. Tod, one of the organizers, explains everything they will have for families in need. “So, we hope to be able to provide a number of different items and services to those who need them:  food pantry items like canned food goods, tuna, peanut butter (non-perishable food items that are usually very versatile); hygiene items, such as deodorant, shampoo, feminine pads, and tampons, etc;  emergency clothing items, such as underwear, socks, jackets or hoodies, shirts, etc;  school supplies, like backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, etc;  and, eventually (likely next year) prom and graduation attire, gift cards (for families over the holidays who don’t have the means to purchase a holiday meal, or maybe a family has had some kind of illness or death in the family and needs some assistance and relief during those difficult times.”

The Clothing Bank will be accessible during designated hours each school day, allowing students to visit and pick up what they need. Additionally, the bank will be available for emergency access during the school day to ensure no student is left without necessary items. While details on how families will be able to access the resources are still being finalized, plans are in the works to ensure that families can benefit from this service as well.

Starting a project like this hasn’t come without its challenges. “Initially, our challenges were mostly organizational (where will it be located, who will help run operations, what types of items and services will we provide) – now that we have some of those answers, we are focusing on reaching out for donations to get things rolling along – this project will basically be entirely donation-driven, so we need to network with the Sahuaro community, as well as businesses and churches in our area, to get the word out,” explained Mr. Tod. Now that those important questions have been addressed, the focus has shifted to gathering donations. The Clothing Bank will rely entirely on donations, and the team is working hard to reach out to the Sahuaro community, local businesses, and churches to get the word out and begin collecting items.

Those looking to contribute can start donating after the upcoming break. Donations will be collected in Room 301 this school year, and plans are in place to move the bank’s operations to a larger space next year in one of the unused rooms behind the copy center in the 400 building. School announcements, emails, and posters will soon help spread the word about how to donate and access the Clothing Bank.

Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks, and consider contributing to this important cause. Together, we can help those in our community.