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A 13-year-old student established a school closet to provide underprivileged classmates with clothes and supplies.
Chase Neyland-Square from Port Allen Middle School created PAM’s Pantry, a closet located at the back of a stage in the school gym. The closet features a variety of donated clothing items, such as coats, sweatshirts, and shoes, which are all up for grabs.
Neyland-Square gathers the donations and organizes the closet before his teachers distribute the items to students from low-income families who cannot afford nice apparel. Apart from clothes, PAM’s Pantry also has an assortment of school supplies and hygiene products.
According to Neyland-Square, he created PAM’s Pantry to express his appreciation for the things that he has been blessed with. The eighth-grader observed that some of his schoolmates lack confidence because of the clothes they wear, and he wanted to help them overcome their insecurities.
Neyland-Square said that PAM’s Pantry inspired him to pursue his passion for making a difference. He hopes to continue working on the project and turn it into a non-profit organization in the future.
PAM’s Pantry was conceived through Port Allen Middle School’s Student Program for Arts, Recreation, and Knowledge (SPARK). The summer program, launched by the school principal, serves as a venue that gives students an opportunity to come up with projects that can improve the school and the community. The program also aims to turn students into young leaders.