NHS students create hygiene closet at high school

Friday, May 1, 2015
Mrs. Chrystie Braden stocks the shelves of the Hygiene Closet with donations from the Soroptomist Club. The items in the Hygiene Closet are available for NHS students who don't have access to these items at home. Photo by Abbie Landoll Special to the Daily Mail

Special to the Daily Mail

What is your normal morning routine? Do you brush your teeth, take a shower, put on deodorant? The daily hygiene ritual that many of us take for granted is not considered "normal" for many people. In fact, for several students at Nevada High School, your typical morning routine would be a luxury.

Vernon County is no stranger to poverty; 21 percent of its residents are below the poverty line. Approximately half of all high school students receive free or reduced meals. Many families cannot afford or do not have access to hygiene products.

Mrs. Chrystie Braden and Mrs. Cassie Irwin, the high school guidance counselors, had noticed that many high school students were in need of these kinds of products.

"When you get to know the kids, you get to know some of their stories. Teachers and nurses have voiced their concerns for the students," said Braden.

The counselors proposed hosting a Hygiene Drive, a concept similar to a food drive, but to collect items such as shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap instead.

The counselors, Jennifer Mosbrucker, and I worked to plan and organize a Hygiene Drive. We made announcements and placed posters around campus asking for donations of shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, body wash, or any other basic personal sanitation item. The student body and staff kindly donated quite a few items, but there were still not enough to set up a functioning Hygiene Closet.

We then asked local businesses and organizations to help our cause, and several donated generously. Nevada Family Dentistry donated two large cases of travel-sized toothpastes. Schowengerdt Family Dental donated hundreds of toothbrushes. Country Inn and Suites contributed three hundred bars of soap. Thalias MFWC, the Soroptomist Club, and the Athenas donated an array of items, including wash cloths, soaps, deodorants, and more. By the time the last donations had been picked up, there were close to a thousand hygiene items to offer students.

The hygiene closet is located in a private section of the high school counseling office. The counselors sent an email to all the teachers instructing them to inform their students that the hygiene closet is a functioning entity available to them, free of charge. Many students receive some of these items in backpacks of food sent home through the Backpacks of Love program. Hopefully, the success of the Hygiene Drive will allow students to feel more comfortable and confident in school.

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