In high school, students go through four years of meeting new people, taking different classes, and buying the supplies that are necessary for you to be successful in school.

However, it is common for parents and guardians to struggle in providing those needed supplies for their children due to whatever financial problems that they may be facing.

That is what the Dignity Closet was created for. According to the advisor of the closet, Dana Isaac, “It is a service club. We collect and clean new or gently used clothing for the Cape Coral High School community. We also have assorted toiletry items and accessories.”

All of these items are available at any time for the student body at Cape Coral High School to use, and have access to at any time.  

It is a full team effort when it comes to having enough resources available to help those in need. Historian of the closet, Christelle Pierre explains, “Other students and members of the community come together and help donate items and keep the closet stocked.”

But there are certain qualifications that need to be met in order for students to have access to the closet. It is a procedure to talk to a trusted adult such as a guidance counselor, administration, or even a social worker, and they will contact Dignity Closet. 

The president of the closet, Lauren Binghak, says that, “It’s important to have clubs like this so that we can give back to our community and have that social responsibility for students who are less fortunate. Empathy is a huge part of leadership and I’m glad that I’m able to give back through being a leader in the Dignity Closet.” 

Not only does this allow members to give back to the community, but it is a safe space for students to go when they need help. If permission is given for students to be able to visit and access the contents of the closet, their identity will remain confidential.

This allows for a high probability of students to make use of the items that are donated and available to them as opposed to feeling embarrassed by making a visit. 

One of the most impactful drives that Dignity Closet has put on is a backpack and school supplies drive, in which they collaborated with the Red Cross to help aid those who suffered majorly due to Hurricane Ian. “We collected donations and those donations went to the Head Start program which aided families and children within our community,” said Pierre.

The Red Cross is another non-profit organization that offers help to people and communities after natural disasters. Having the Cape High Dignity Closet collaborate with the Red Cross for donations was a way to impact not just the school but the entire community. 

Even though Issac is the club’s advisor, she plays no role other than the students’ supervisor. “Everything this club has accomplished – raising money, holding drives, even building the closet – has been initiated and carried out by the club members,” said Issac.

Having it be a student-run organization makes it seem more personal for students that need to access the closet because it is their fellow students who are doing this for them. 

Not only do the efforts of donations go to our school, but they also go to other causes as well. A drive is being planned by Dignity Closet called Blessings with a Backpack that will go towards ending child hunger. 

In an effort to bring more attention to the Dignity Closet, Binghak states, “Photoshoots are a huge way that we promote our club on our Instagram (@cchsdignitycloset), to show our students that our closet is always open to them and just make our audience aware of the club.”

By doing these photo shoots of the items that are available, they are able to give people insight about what new things come to the closet and allow people a chance to view their items before paying a visit. 

Dignity Closet has been around for a while now, and it is as important as ever to make sure that Cape High’s community knows the impact that this club has made and will continue to make in the future.