In the era of the Internet, charity has started to take on many different forms. Over the Summer, the ALS ice bucket challenge swept the nation, getting everyone from the average joe to celebrities like Jimmy Fallon in on the effort to raise awareness for the disorder. Though the ice bucket challenge quickly faded away, an equally creative charity drive is taking place at BHS, this month.
Explains Math Teacher Emily Haugh, the driving force behind the event, “Jeans for Teens is running all of December, as long as we’re here, until Christmas Break. Any staff that wanted to participate donated to our in-house charity, the Care Closet, and they’re able to wear jeans as much as they like in December.”
This sounds wonderful, but it raises the question of what the Care Closet actually is. “The Care Closet . . . it’s an idea of getting resources for any kid who needs them in school,” said Haugh.
These resources can include anything from basic school supplies, to clothes that students can wear to job interviews, to food. Simply put, “Items that people need when times are tough.”
Such an idea does not dawn on a person overnight. Haugh first started thinking about the idea at the AVID conference in San Diego that happened this summer. Said Haugh, “The strand that I went to was culturally relevant teaching, and what I recognized was that one of our greatest discrepancies, here at school, is the range of income and level of poverty that people face.”
Even after the idea was fully formed, Haugh had to actually get approval to hold the event. “I brought [the idea] to the administration,” she said, “and they had me talk to Krista Kern, the school social worker. She had already started the student care committee, who did some similar things, did little care packages for kids who were struggling. They try to do something nice for them. So I hooked up with Krista and the student care committee, and it tied together seamlessly. It’s been great.”
The drive has been a resounding success, having raised over 1800 dollars. Said Haugh, “I am in awe of the staff, their generosity, and their willingness to help. We have so many wonderful young people at this school, and we’re going to be able to do even more for them now than we were able to before. Thank you for caring so much and loving our students and wanting to make their lives better.”
