Twice a year, in late January or early February and again in July, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach hosts Teen Closet shopping trips at the Target and Ross stores in Oro Valley. Teen Closet, which started as an offshoot of Kids’ Closet in 2003, helps students in grades nine through twelve look their best as they do their best in school. It also assists families with high school students deal with the rising costs of new school clothes. Students entering ninth grade are identified by their schools as those who would benefit from the program based on family need. Prior to entering ninth grade, these students would have been able to attend Kids’ Closet.
The application process is simple and involves both the parents and the student. The parent/guardian agrees to transport the child to the shopping venue and to allow their child to shop with an SBCO volunteer. The student agrees to attend school regularly, get passing grades and perform six hours of community service each semester, which allows the student to remain in the program throughout the entire four years of high school.
We are pleased to announce that we will be having our next Back to School Teen Closet shopping event this coming July. We will be shopping on Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.
The teens are told how much money they can spend. They can fill their shopping carts with clothes, shoes, underwear and personal hygiene products. They may also spend a percentage of their budget on school supplies. Once their carts are full, they go through the check-out line where an SBCO volunteer pays for everything.
We need a volunteer to accompany each teen as they shop, offering guidance on how to stay within their budget, buying clothes that will be school appropriate or just be a friendly person they can talk to during the two-hour shopping trip. If you would be interested in volunteering for this event, please contact us. We need both male and female volunteers. You can sign up for one or more two-hour shift at a time that is convenient for you. For more information, email Debbie Aberle at debbie@community-outreach.org or call (520) 403-8078.
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