– Taylor Mansheim
Now that the winter is in full force once again, it’s time for many to take out their winter coats and bundle up on their way to school. For some though, it is not an option.
Luckily, for the students who are not so fortunate this winter, The Hanger is offering outdoor winter clothing for the first time.
“It’s a clothing store for people who need it,” said Arianna Pike, ‘20, when asked what she knew about the Hanger. She seems to have the right idea, but many students do not know what it is.
“I don’t really know about the Hanger,” said Brennan Dimicelli, ‘20, who spoke for a good portion of Plainwell High School.
The Hanger is a free cache of all kinds of clothes. It’s like a free secondhand store right in the school.
The official Hanger space is in a room next to the teacher’s lounge (right across from a popular drink vending machine), in the hallway between the “T” and the sophomore hallway with the sign above it. The winter coats are currently available there outside The Hangar room
The people who do know what it is recognize the service.
“It’s a good deed,” said Pike.
Run by special education teacher Nancy Heath and her class, the service was started in winter 2017.
The service works through donations. When a donation comes in, everyone works to get the clothes clean, checked, and sorted by size and type.
Although Heath started and oversees the Hanger, Kaylee Sherman, ‘20, helps out.
“I organize the clothes for Mrs. Heath,” said Sherman. She also decides if the clothes are worth keeping.
“It’s a lot of fun, it gives me experience,” says Sherman, who believes that helping out now will be useful after high school.
The Hanger is just getting started. Heath wants to move the project into room 839, a larger unused room next to Heath’s classroom.
“If it was bigger it could service all schools, elementary through high school. Students and their families.” Heath said on her other goals for the service. But there are still some kinks to work out.
Although the clothes are available for everyone, the room has to stay locked during the day.
“It’s got to stay locked,” said Heath. The problem is accessibility. Any teacher can unlock the room when someone needs it, but other than that it has to stay locked to prevent stealing.