Charlotte Wall, 12, Logan Kanaley, 11, and Sarah Dey, 12, left to right, stand next to three tables worth of clothing they sorted with Garrett Junior High School counselor Janet Erikson. The clothing is the start of the Bobcat Boutique, a clothing resource for students.
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009 | 1:59 a.m.
Garrett Junior High School students who may need an extra pair of pants, nice shoes or a backpack will have a nearby resource this year.
The Boulder City middle school has opened what it is calling the Bobcat Boutique in a spare classroom near the office. The boutique is stocked with clothes outgrown by other Garrett students — donated mostly by parents and teachers.
The idea began last spring, when administrators found that some of the eighth-graders did not have dress shirts or nice shoes for the promotion celebration, counselor Janet Erikson said. That led to the idea of asking parents and students to donate clothes that others could use.
“By having the students donate, the stuff is already in the right sizes,” Erikson said.
Over the summer, Principal Jamey Hood put out the word to some teachers and a few parents, and they passed the word to others. By this week, Erikson had 300 to 400 pieces of clothing, plus shoes and backpacks to start the boutique, she said. They are stacked neatly on three tables after some student volunteers sorted them.
The next step, Erikson said, is to get shelving and hanging rods to make the boutique more attractive. She is writing a grant for the purchase.
The idea is to be able to help students who need it without embarrassing them, Erikson said. She will ask students to pay for the items by volunteering their time at the school.
“That way, they know it’s not free stuff,” she said. “They earn this. It’s not like a charity case for them.”
The boutique benefits both givers and receivers, Erikson said.
“Students are helping other students, and they know that’s what the clothing is going to — helping students who are having a tough time right now,” she said.
For those receiving the clothes, she said, “There is a feeling of being included in the community of our school — of not feeling left out because of the clothes they wear.”
Over time, the boutique might expand to clothing for other ages, Erikson said. She already has had one parent ask if the boutique will accept baby clothing.
“If the need is there, sure. I don’t see why not,” she said.
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