photo credit: Elizabeth Bromacher
Through this past December, Olentangy Orange’s Environmental Club hosted a clothing drive and thrift store event. The clothing drive was held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 11. Students and staff could donate gently used clothing, not including swimwear, socks, shoes, bags and hats, to boxes outside of student services and Mrs. Timmons room. In return, whomever participated would receive tickets to shop at the thrift store. The thrift store was open from Dec. 11 to Dec. 14, the week right before midterms. The store was run by students during all lunch periods, in the cafeteria, in front of the windows. Depending on the clothing item donated, the student or staff member would receive a number of tickets. For example, donating a top was one ticket, bottoms were two tickets, jackets and dresses were three tickets, formal attire was four tickets, and high end brands were an additional 2 tickets to the normal item. In addition to receiving tickets to shop at the store, each bag donated to the drive earned the donator a raffle ticket to possibly get a 30 dollar Northstar Cafe gift card. Not to mention, each bag donated also counted as one service hour for whomever participated. Speaking of service hours, students that were a part of the club were also able to earn service hours by helping out at the drive. Some of those opportunities included running the thrift store during lunch, helping sort tickets and organize the clothing that was donated during flex period. The reason why Orange’s Environmental club decided to host this type of event was to spread awareness about fast fashion and the overconsumption of clothing. Over consuming clothing items not only results in a loss of valuable resources but also pollutes the environment. Even though this is a massive problem, there are still things that an everyday person can do to help. This includes buying clothing from ethical, sustainable brands, extending the lifespan of clothing items already in someone’s possession, purchasing pre-owned items from a thrift store, and not following fast fashion trends. Many other schools in the district have had success with hosting this type of event, and Orange’s Environmental Club is hoping for a similar outcome while trying to spread awareness about this environmental issue that affects the entire world.
