Teen clothing drive benefits Lighthouse Youth Services
Gretchen Shisler, 16, and Erin Smith, 18, had quite the impressive collection of clothing. From jackets to shoes, to skirts and shirts of all kinds, they amassed pretty much anything imaginable for every season of the year. Their wardrobes were more astounding than you’d expect, even from a pair of teenagers.
Yes, they had enough clothes to pack two vehicles to the brim – and that’s just what they did. But the clothes were not for them. They were the result of a clothing drive service project spearheaded by the two Saint Ursula Academy students intended for homeless youth in the Cincinnati area.
It began last summer when Shisler, of Landon, decided she wanted to help the homeless population in Cincinnati. When she discovered some alarming statistics about youth homelessness, she knew then she wanted to help kids her age who were in need.
“It was eye-opening,” Shisler said. “I expected the numbers to be big, but I just didn’t expect them to be that shocking.”
On any given night, approximately 100 youth are homeless in Hamilton County. In Cincinnati Public Schools, approximately 4,200 students will experience some form of homelessness each year based on the most recent data. Maybe it’s sleeping on the street, maybe it’s living in a hotel, or maybe it’s crashing on the floor of a friend’s home, but there are thousands of children each year who go without permanent housing. And those are just the ones authorities know about.
Smith, of Anderson Township, knew she wanted to join in Shisler’s efforts.
“This is so close to home and you don’t actually see it,” Smith said. “You can see someone who’s homeless and you wouldn’t know because they don’t want to tell anyone or they’re ashamed of it.”
The girls discovered Lighthouse Youth Services, an agency which provides social services to Greater Cincinnati area youth and their families. But, rules prevented the girls from volunteering because they were less than 21 years old.
“These two girls are so enthusiastic and got us thinking about some other ways to engage high school students,” said Dana Saxton, volunteer and community involvement manager at Lighthouse Youth Services. “They are dynamic youth with great, big hearts and lots of passion.”
Saxton suggested the girls form the Lighthouse Student Advisory Council. They could host things off-site such as clothing drives at school to benefit homeless youth, while not breaking any rules.
The clothing drive, held in October, was a one-time service project that has developed into a larger campaign to raise awareness and combat homelessness. Shisler and Smith are now partnering with other area schools like Walnut Hills High Schools, Withrow University High School and Purcell Marian High School. They intend to have two service projects per year.
“It’s really amazing what they’re doing,” said Jill Grever Cahill, vice president of marketing at Saint Ursula Academy. “It’s part of our mission statement at the school, to teach our students to build a better world and to see our students taking the initiative to live our mission and go out and make a difference and not be intimidated by their age or obstacles they run into.”
Shisler and Smith are looking for more teens to join the Lighthouse Student Advisory Council and to help at their next event on Dec. 1. Students will gather at Saint Ursula Academy from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1339 E. McMillan St. to make fleece blankets and food items as well as pack personal care items for Lighthouse Youth Services. They say it’s a good opportunity for high school students to give back to other youth.
“I think they should come to help people their own age deal with their struggles. It’s definitely a way to give back to the community,” Smith said. “Just because we’re teenagers doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference.”
For more information on how to get involved, call the school at 513-961-3410.