Have you ever had one of those days when you were wearing a beautiful, brand-new piece of clothing to school, when all of a sudden it got ruined and you had nothing else to wear?

Shawna Stafford, a senior here at Greenwood, found herself in that very predicament one ordinary Wednesday, after accidentally spilling some bright orange sauce on her perfectly clean white shirt during lunch.

Luckily for Shawna, Greenwood’s very own Student Resource Center was there to help. They provided her with a clean shirt from their supplies, and disaster was averted.

The Resource Center has helped many students in similar situations throughout its history. However, many students at Greenwood aren’t aware what the Resource Center is or how to access its services.

The Student Resource Center is a totally free service provided by the school that offers material–and sometimes financial–aid to students in need. It doesn’t just help to fix unexpected clothing emergencies, but also provides a wide variety of different resources. From shoes to nonperishable foods to household items, school supplies, and hygiene products, the Student Resource Center strives to fit every need that financially challenged families could have.

The Center is located in the Youth Services room, just down the hall from the guidance office. Students can simply walk into the Center any time the room is open and the friendly staff will happily get them what they need. The resources in the Center are absolutely free of charge; students simply need to sign that they took an item and they can either keep it, or, if it is an article of clothing, wash it and bring it back in the next few days.

All items in the Resource Center are donated by Greenwood students and parents.

If the Center is not open, students can see Mrs. Jennifer Wallace in the guidance office and the room will be opened for them, or they can leave a note in the box attached to the door with a list of items they need and someone will help them at another time.

However, some students don’t want to be seen entering the Resource Center. Sadly, it can be embarrassing for some teenagers to have to admit that they are not as financially privileged as others, so volunteers at the Center can help meet their needs discreetly.

The Resource Center has no official funding and relies entirely on volunteers. The idea for the Resource Center was brought up by Mrs. Amy Turner, one such volunteer. Before she began work on the Center, Mrs. Turner was treasurer of Drakes Creek Middle School’s PTO, where she learned that Greenwood was the only high school in the district that didn’t have some kind of funded resource center with one or more full-time staff members. Mrs. Turner mentioned this at a parent meeting for volunteer training, and the idea became a reality.

Unfortunately, the lack of funding has brought up its set of challenges, and with them, needs. So how can students and parents help?

Probably most importantly, the Resource Center needs volunteers. Last school year, the Center was open three days a week, for several hours a day. This year, on the other hand, Mrs. Turner is the only volunteer, and has taken another job, so the Center has no set hours, making it difficult for students to receive aid from it. Having more volunteers–or even better, funding to hire a full-time staff member– would enable the Center to be open more frequently.

Items in the Resource Center range from clothes to hygiene items to nonperishable foods.

On another note, financial contribution can greatly benefit the Center. Donations of gift cards are very helpful. The Center may not always have enough of certain items, and also some needs are unpredictable, so gift cards allow volunteers to go out and get specific things students need.

Also, anyone who donates to Goodwill can acquire a voucher, which can be donated to the Resource Center and given to a Greenwood family to use at Goodwill.

Another way to contribute to the Center’s efforts that anyone can do is to donate resources. As the winter season approaches, items like hats, gloves, and hoodies will be extremely helpful. Students who wear uncommon clothing sizes should not feel hesitant to donate. People come in all sizes, and other students receiving aid from the Center may need clothes in these sizes. They would want a selection of clothes to choose from, and it would be terrible to have to turn away a student simply because there are no clothes in their size.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer, or has other questions about how to contribute, can contact Mrs. Turner via email at mrsamyt@gmail.com or can see Mrs. Jennifer Wallace in the guidance office.

The Student Resource Center is has made an incredible impact in the time it has been here and needs Greenwood’s help to continue doing so. Last year, in the first semester alone, the Center aided over 80 students. During a prom special, 16 girls were provided with dresses so they could enjoy themselves without wondering if they could afford it. The Resource Center has never turned away a student, and hopes to keep up this reputation in the future.

“High school students just want to dress like everyone else,” Mrs. Turner says, “and doing this is such a great way to contribute to their school.”