Keeping kids clothed in style
Glacier's Carrie Power, left to right, Flathead's Sylvia Heselwood, and Flathead junior Kristen Hegenbarth, 17, sort and arrange clothes on Wednesday afternoon at the Crosstown Closet.
Flathead junior Andre Rocha sorts through clothes at the Crosstown Closet on Wednesday afternoon in Kalispell.
It started with a pair of pants.
A student in Carrie Power’s classroom wore the same worn-out pair every day. When the jeans finally split, he continued to wear them; he didn’t have any others. No matter how he tried to hide the holes, he was still made fun of.
For advice, Power, a reading teacher at Glacier High School, called her friend Sylvia Heselwood, a reading teacher at Flathead High School. There had to be a way to keep high school kids clothed in clean, whole, even stylish apparel without breaking the bank.
Their answer to the dilemma opened in December.
At the Crosstown Closet, high school students can browse through racks of clothing and take what they need without paying a dime.
“The Glacier kids call it the free store,” Power said.
The store, located in the basement of the Linderman Education Center, is stocked with everything from T-shirts to winter coats to handbags to shoes. An entire room is dedicated to baby clothing and toys for teenage parents. By the end of the month, prom-goers will have dresses and jackets to select from.
Donations have come from teachers, parents, local businesses and students — including some students who have shopped at the store. A local group donated navy and black jackets, Wheatons gave clothing and about 30 pairs of shoes, and Sportsman and Ski Haus donated clothing racks, hangers and clothing.
The closet relies on donations but Heselwood said their standards are high: They won’t accept just anything.
“It needs to be clean and current,” she said. “I ask my kids, ‘Would you wear it? Would your friends wear it?’”
André Rocha, 16, and Kristen Hegenbarth, 17, both juniors at Flathead High School, are there to help make sure the clothes are stylish enough for high school students. They’ve been volunteering at the closet since before it opened, Hegenbarth said.
Other students, including special education students from both high schools, volunteer at the Crosstown Closet, too. They practice hanging clothes on racks as part of their life skills classes, Power said.
This week Rocha pawed through racks of pants to make sure there were no “old man jeans,” while Hegenbarth turned a critical eye to girls’ shirts and sweaters. Their efforts are a necessary part of the Crosstown Closet’s operation, Heselwood said.
“I’m 56 years old. I don’t have the same perspective” on fashion, she explained.
Anything that doesn’t meet with teenage approval is bagged and sent to the Salvation Army or to Flathead Industries, where older shoppers might appreciate them.
Heselwood said the Crosstown Closet isn’t meant to be competition for those stores.
“It’s just a place where high school kids can find high school stuff,” she said.
“It’s fitting a need,” she added. “It’s a start. You don’t have to pay when you’re having trouble putting groceries on the table.”
She and Power don’t ask for identification or for students to prove their need, Heselwood said. They want the store to be used, and they want people to benefit from it.
“We live in excess, but not everyone does,” Power said.
“There are a lot of people working, but it’s really tough in this valley,” Heselwood added. “You can just bring stuff to them if there’s a kid with a need, but it’s a whole lot more fun for the kids to come and shop.”
It can sometimes be difficult for students to overcome their pride and visit the store, she said. One boy in her class needed a coat but was hesitant to look for one at the Crosstown Closet. He told Heselwood it “feels like charity.”
“I told him, ‘It’s getting what you need right now so you can be successful in school. Then you can go on and one day donate to the high school,’” she said. “It’s cyclical.”
The store is open from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The last week of February, the Crosstown Closet will be open Monday evening through Thursday evening to give prom shoppers a chance to check out the available options.
“We hope we get people to clean out their closets,” Heselwood said. “Even if you can afford a dress, why not reuse?”
Donations, which are tax deductible, may be dropped off at the Flathead and Glacier high school main offices. Those with questions should contact Power at powerc@sd5.k12.mt.us or Heselwood at heselwoods@sd5.k12.mt.us or 751-3572.
Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.