JORDAN — When you walk into room 131 at Jordan-Elbridge High School, you may be surprised to find tables stuffed with high-end clothing and racks overflowing with coats and dresses. It’s all thanks to the latest donation from Peace, Inc., ensuring that any high schooler can stop by and shop for what they need.
And this isn’t just any assortment of clothing and accessories. Everything offered is from designer Ralph Lauren. The items were part of last year’s line of clothing and were never sold, so it all ended up getting donated instead. Now, it’s a part of what staff jokingly refers to as “the store.”
Students can stop by during lunch, study hall or after school. Nobody gets turned away. After everyone has had the opportunity to come through once, they’ll get a second chance to shop.
Making this happen has truly been a team effort, from custodians who worked extra hours to pick up the merchandise and get it inside the High School, to the counselors and teachers who spend their spare time setting everything up and coordinating with students. For those who have helped, they say the response they get from students makes it all worth it.
“The best part about it is hearing the kids say, ‘This is so great, I never go shopping, I can’t remember the last time I bought myself anything’,” said Jamie Susino, a guidance counselor.
Sharyl Smith also helped coordinate the donation. She agreed that students have been showing nothing but happiness and appreciation.
“One student I remember, she was just so overwhelmed she started crying, she didn’t realize she could just pick things,” Smith said.
This isn’t the first donation the Syracuse non-profit Peace, Inc. has given the Jordan-Elbridge School District. The last donation supplied more than 200 families with clothing and winter gear.
This time around, smaller items of clothing will be brought to Jordan-Elbridge Middle School for students to look through. Anything that doesn’t get used will be donated to other local organizations.
