On Aug. 21 at 1:29 p.m., the heavy duty black door to room J creaks open.
Fluorescent lights flicker against the chipped, sage green wall paint.
Plastic hangers spill over metal racks.
Three Post High students are helping special education teacher Stacie Anderson get the clothing closet ready for students.
The clothing closet is a space at Northwest where students can take for things they might need, like clothes, shoes, spirit wear, suits and more.
“We call it our little Savers,” social worker Mellisa Osborn said.
This year the closet moved from room K to J so that Post High — a program easing the transition from education to employment for young adults with disabilities — would have more space to implement new resources that their program needed, such as their latest edition — a kitchenette for practice with home/life skills.
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift pours out of Anderson’s iphone speaker as they work diligently.
One boy hangs an orange plaid button up.
A quiet girl gently wipes down scuffed shelves.
Strewn on the floor is, a bucket of plastic toothbrushes, leather pumps, trash bags of donations and more hangers.
Anderson stands, hands on her hips, with pink highlights in her hair.
She scans the snug basement room.
“I want more kids to utilize the closet,” Anderson said. “I’ve seen so many students who desperately need clothes or formal dresses and don’t have the money for it. I can’t imagine not being able to afford a prom dress.”
Anderson eyes the array of coral, scrunched satin gowns and flashy beaded bodices with tissue skirts — the really nice ones are wrapped in plastic.
Donations typically come from parents, teachers and students. They can drop them off in social workers offices, Special Ed. Classrooms and Room J — the clothing closet.
Students using the closet typically find out about it through recommendations from social workers or a school nurse. It could be because they don’t have clothes at home, bled through their pants and need a change of jeans or “if they just want a cute top.”
“It started with meeting the need for formal wear,” Osborn said. “At first all we really had were ties and dresses. You know how expensive those can get.”
And as needs grew from unfortunate circumstances, so did the closet.
Sometimes, when running low on donations, nurse Wendy Woods can make special requests to nearby thrift stores, whether it’s for little pants and pjs for younger brothers and sisters, or infant clothes for students with babies.
Any student can visit the closet chaperoned by an adult, or volunteer.
Around 2:00 pm Anderson and her students start packing up to leave.
She points to a door in the left corner.
“I want a dressing room there.”
She pivots.
“I want men’s along that wall, and women’s in the middle.”
“Gowns will go in the back.”
Anderson will feel lighter once everything is done. She says right now the mess is stressing her out. There’s still a lot more to do.
“Hopefully we can make it look prettier, using carpet squares so kids don’t have to step on the cement,” Anderson said, her face lighting up. “I’m kind of excited.”
Most students didn’t know that the clothing closet moved, or that there are probably people sorting downstairs right now, chatting, cleaning and listening to Taylor Swift.
A lot are unaware of its existence entirely.
“We care as a school,” Osborn said. “Not just about academic things, but also making sure students feel good about what they’re wearing. We help people who need help.”
Anderson flicks of a light switch, and the heavy door swings shut once again.
