Chittenango High School Shop Helps Students Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good

PICTURED ABOVE: Gabby Ibrahim 

For the last few years, Gabby Ibrahim used her free period at Chittenango High School to help sort and hang clothing, label items and restock health and beauty products at The Den Thrift Shoppe, where students can pick up clothing, hygiene supplies and snacks for free. For her, the shop became a safe space to decompress from the stressors of high school.

“The Den helped me feel more comfortable while I was in school because it was a safe place for me to go to if I needed to shop or just get away from other things that were going on,” she said. “If there was a time when I felt stressed or just needed a break, I just headed down the hall.”

Staff and faculty at Chittenango High School launched The Den, a spacious room at the back of the library, in September 2021, when students returned to in-person classes after COVID-19 closed schools. During the pandemic many families from under-resourced neighborhoods were working harder than ever to make ends meet. Compared to their higher-income counterparts, low-income families faced elevated rates of unemployment, job insecurity, housing instability and more. These obstacles made it difficult for some to provide basic needs for their children.

“We just kept thinking kids could use a little something more all the time — food, clothes, just depending on everybody’s unique situation,” said Mary Klucznik, the school’s library media specialist. “When you look good and you feel good, you do good. So we thought we really needed to give this opportunity to kids.”

She and her colleagues had hoped to open a thrift store for years, but seeing the inequities amplified by the pandemic fast-tracked their efforts. While The Den is a resource to ensure all children have the tools they need to be successful, it also serves as a way to unite the student body by building morale through student participation. For example, The Den is run and managed by students, and before it launched, the school hosted a design contest for students to submit logo designs.

We provided a $7,068 grant from our Madison County Rural Poverty Fund to Chittenango High School to support The Den’s infrastructure. The funding was used to purchase new coat hangers, mannequins and other storage supplies.

The shop officially opened on April 22, 2022 — Earth Day. Inventory comes from donations from district faculty, staff, and the community. In its first eight months, it gave away more than 2,000 items.

To limit stigma and normalize its services, the store includes a separate entry and bathroom that serves as a changing room. Organizers strove to create a boutique environment that would be welcoming and draw on the popularity of thrifting. Some students stop by to pick up a snack, a bottle of shampoo or browse the clothing racks. Staff have helped outfit students for the prom, and they provided one student with a summer wardrobe.

“It feels good to see how many students we helped in just a few years,” said Ibrahim, who graduated in June. “It’s only been a few months and I already miss The Den, but I’m happy knowing how many more students it will impact for years to come.”

Students who pick up items from The Den may help ease their family’s tight budget for fill an unmet need. That, in turn, can lead to improved self-esteem and better school performance, Klucznik said Ibrahim has seen the benefits, too.

“Some days I’d pass by kids in the halls with their heads down, avoiding eye contact,” she said. “But on other days, when I’d see those same people wearing something from The Den, their head was up, they were talking with other people in the hallway, and they had a smile on their face.”

In its first eight months, The Den gave away more than 2,000 items.