With the upcoming holiday season, students at Foran can get into the giving spirit by joining the new Clothing the Community Club. The club was brought up by juniors Elle Philpott and Izze Fallon, co-presidents of the club. 

          The first meeting was held on November 1, 2022. Their meetings are on Tuesdays in room 413, every two weeks.

          Clothing the Community aims to provide basic needs to the local community members who may need it by collaborating with various local organizations such as the Beth-El Center, Ronald McDonald House Charities,  and Salvation Army.
Science teacher and advisor of the club Mrs. Laura Donovan says, “Our meetings in the future will consist of collecting and sorting clothes that have been collected in our clothing drive bins around the school.” 

          With the upcoming holidays, the club plans on organizing a winter clothing drive and fundraisers to meet their goal. They plan on collecting items such as hats, coats, gloves, and socks, which they will then donate to local organizations. 

          Philpott explains, “Izze and I were at lunch discussing the different clubs that Foran has to offer and we realized there was nothing involving the community in this aspect.” 

          Out of the 36 clubs that Foran has to offer, the Clothing the Community Club is a tightnit service club that is unique to Foran. 

          After presenting their idea to the school, approval from Mr. Zywocinski and Mrs. Gilman was granted and they launched the club.  

          According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020,  42.31 million Americans lived in poverty.

          CALPIRG, an advocate for the public interest states, “It is estimated that the average American throws away about 37kg/81 pounds of clothes every year…the weight of an 11-year-old child.” 

          Although the club mainly impacts the immediate community, it’s the unity between clubs like Clothing the Community that help make the greater difference nationwide and around the world.

          The Clothing the Community Club opens up opportunities for students to gain community service hours to graduate with distinction, but most importantly, allows them to make a positive impact on their community. 

          Junior and member of the club, Taylor LaFountain expresses, “It’s a really tight and close community and everyone is very friendly. It is also a really fun way to not only be a part of a new club, but help the community by donating things, doing clothing drives, and other activities that are coming soon!” 

          Anyone interested in donating clothes and making an impact on the community should join Clothing the Community.