Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that make all the difference. Communities In Schools of North Texas believes that every child needs and deserves five basic things, one of which is a safe place to learn and grow. We may not think of clothing as being an integral part of creating this safe place, but not having clean or well-fitting clothes can throw off a child’s entire day. That’s why clothes closets at schools like Central Elementary School are so important. Students know that if they ever have a need, they can visit Nellie Apodaca, Site Coordinator at Central Elementary, and she’ll get them squared away.
After some recent construction at Central Elementary, Nellie was moved from her longtime classroom into a much smaller space that couldn’t fit the clothes closet. She was eventually moved into a room that could accommodate one, but she did not have the time or resources to set it up in the way she or her students needed.
This is where the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce’s most recent leadership class, Class 37, stepped in! Katie McInnis, CISNT Volunteer Coordinator, was fortunate enough to be able to participate in this class. Part of the class experience is working on a community project together. When determining what project would be, Katie recommended helping Nellie get her clothes closet set back up. The class was elated at the opportunity to help CISNT, and went above and beyond to make it happen.
Thanks to generous donations from the Lewisville Chamber, Christian Community Action, Texas New Mexico Power, and CoServ, Class 37 was able to replace Nellie’s old and unstable clothing racks with built-in shelving that allowed all her coats and uniform shirts to be neatly arranged by size, just like what you would see in a store. The class was also able to provide Nellie with two rolling shelving units to neatly store uniform pants and skirts and other items that she regularly needs, along with two rolling Z-racks to hold even more clothes.
This might seem like a small thing, but the impact has already been huge, and it will continue to benefit the students at Central Elementary for years to come. Nellie expresses this the best when she says, “Words cannot express my sincere gratitude for the revamping of the clothes closet here at Central Elementary School. The new shelving and clothing racks make it much quicker and efficient for me and the school counselors to find the correct clothing size for our students. I’m so elated with your work that I was thrilled on Monday morning to show Central staff the fabulous job you all did; they were amazed. Thank you to all of you for the new closet. I love it!”
