The UFT Mutual Aid working group teamed up with NHS students to organize a clothing free drive that allowed parents, students, and staff to donate or acquire donated clothing in the Bathgate library in February, on parent-teacher conference days, February 13th and 14th.
AMS has never had a clothing free drive until this year, which had a huge impact on our community. Experiencing this has encouraged us to plan for future events, given how quickly the clothes were claimed.
Ms. Shoup, a humanities teacher, UFT Chapter leader and member of the UFT Mutual Aid Working group at AMS said, “This idea came out of us as a teachers union and I feel like it’s the responsibility of humans to connect with the community. It’s great to see many people come together and create such a successful project.”
Beyond simply donating clothes, the Clothing Free Drive is about creating a ripple effect of kindness and sustainability. Kyheem Graham, a senior and member of NHS came in on Saturday to launder all of the donated clothes.
A fellow member of the AMS community Cloey Quezada, Grade 11, helped set up the clothing free drive, expressing that “it’s a great opportunity for people who are in need. It’s the perfect chance for others to see a variety of clothing.”
