This Louisiana Teen Made a School Closet Full of Donated Clothes for Needy Classmates

When Port Allen Middle School in Port Allen, Louisiana, began soliciting students for ideas on how to improve operations, 13-year-old Chase Neyland-Square had a suggestion. He wanted to create a closet full of donated clothing and school supplies that could be picked up by any under-privileged classmate who might need them.

According to WAFB, Neyland-Square’s idea materialized in a pantry behind a stage in the school’s gymnasium. The closet houses two racks of clothing and more in bags, including shirts, dresses, and shoes. Rows of school supplies are also available for students who might need notebooks or pens. Neyland-Square organizes the inventory while school staff distributes items. Neyland-Square named it PAM’s Pantry and said he plans to come back after graduating to continue tending to it, possibly helping it to grow into a non-profit organization.

The closet was the result of a brainstorming session for the Student Program for Arts, Recreation, and Knowledge (or SPARK) that began at the school in 2016. The goal of the program is to solicit and implement practical solutions to make the school better for students. Other suggestions included creating a larger variety of titles in the school library and, inevitably, a longer recess.