Marion Center’s nationally recognized Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter has been quietly working on a project to substantially improve the lives of our own Marion Center students and beyond. This project is called the Stinger Storeroom, a free clothing closet where students in need can confidentially get clothes at no cost from within the high school.
FBLA Vice President, Brenden Harper and Secretary, Cassidy States have headed the project, but over 75% of the chapter has logged volunteer hours in the Stinger Storeroom. They collect donations from Marion Center staff and local churches, and they have even recently received a $550 donation from these efforts. For hygienic reasons, underwear, bathing suits, socks, and hats must be donated in original packaging to ensure they have not been used. For other clothing pieces, home etiquette and assisted learning classes wash the clothes in the school, simultaneously keeping the Stinger Storeroom’s clothes clean and teaching students important life skills.
Stinger Storeroom volunteers prioritize privacy, as they know embarrassment often deters students from asking for help. The Stinger Storeroom is only available through the Guidance office for students who are recommended for the program by staff or who request it for themselves by going to the Guidance office or filling out a confidential Google Form that is not seen by any FBLA student volunteers.
Being a teenager in high school is hard, and it is even harder when you have to go through your day in uncomfortable clothes that make you feel even further ostracized from your peers. Marion Center FBLA is on a mission to alleviate this issue for our students to help improve classroom productivity and make our students feel ready to face the day. FBLA Vice President Brenden Harper told newspaper staff, “I feel so honored that I was given the opportunity to make our school a more comfortable and confident place for students to be at. I am so proud to see how far our project has gotten.” They work to share their successes and give recommendations based on their past failures to expand this project into other schools to have an even farther-reaching impact on our community. Marion Center FBLA does not just compete, they make a difference.
