Newport High Junior Receives Recognition For Clothing Closet At The State Capital

Elsie Smith, a junior at Newport High School, was recently inducted into the National Honor Society and needed to complete 15 hours of community service. Like many students, she started by looking at clubs and volunteer opportunities. But when she heard about a “community closet” at another school in Eugene, the idea stuck. “I heard from a friend who goes to the Eugene school that they had a community closet there,” Elsie explained. “I thought that was so cool. I was like, I feel like I could start something like that at my school, because I love thrifting, and I love clothes, and I love taking care of the environment, and I thought that something like that could encompass all of those things.”

What began as an idea for a club soon evolved into a personal project. After initial conversations with staff, Elsie realized the main challenge wasn’t interest, but space.

“I talked to a few people in the office, and they were like, ‘Yeah, that’s cool. I don’t know if we have a space for that,” she said. Instead of giving up, she used her lunch period to walk around both the East and West areas of the school’s campuses, hunting for a spot she could propose. She eventually found what she describes as “an empty wall” in a common area, conveniently located next to the lost and found. She pitched the idea to administrators, who agreed to let her use the space, even though the school didn’t have racks or equipment to offer. That was enough for Elsie.

“I was like, okay, perfect,” she recalled. “So I immediately put out posts on social media like Facebook community pages, asking people if they had clothing racks they wanted to donate.” The response from the community was immediate and enthusiastic. In her first post alone, she received two clothing rack donations and messages from people who wanted to contribute clothing. Many donors, she said, were grateful to have an alternative to traditional thrift stores. Donations poured in: clothes, hangers, and even brand new socks. Elsie washed all of the items and slowly built the closet along the wall. Teachers helped by printing signs, and a donation box was set out for students who wanted to contribute.

The clothing closet now offers a wide range of items. “We get donations of all sorts,” Elsie said. “We get girls’ clothes, boys’ clothes, formal wear, casual, jeans, and belts. We get brand new pairs of socks, jewelry, hats, all sorts of really great stuff.” Elise added, “All of it is 100% free, available to anyone at the school,” she explained. “Staff members, students, visiting sports teams from other schools. Anyone who’s in that school can take it, no questions asked. You can just take whatever you need.”

What started as a way to earn service hours has grown into a project with broader social and environmental impact. Elsie hopes other schools in Lincoln County and across the state will follow suit. “I feel like this kind of started because I saw another school does it, and I hope that getting this out there, and people hearing about the project that I started, I hope that they start it,” she said. “It’s not only helping people who are in need or just want to stop by and look at some cool clothes, but it’s keeping clothes out of the landfill, and one of the biggest things that is an issue right now is textile waste. So I think that it’s great in all aspects.”

Her work recently earned her recognition at the Oregon State Capitol. The honor, coordinated by her mentor Sharon Biddinger, came as a complete surprise. “It was completely unexpected. I was so excited,” she said. Sharon kept the recognition under wraps until the details were finalized. Elsie was then asked to choose a date to attend the legislative short session in Salem. At the Capitol, Elsie sat through part of a legislative meeting and watched the recognition portion at the beginning of the session, when representatives highlight people and organizations from around the state. Elsie had been asked to write a short segment about herself and her project, which was then read aloud on the House floor.

“Having that paragraph read about me, where they’re talking about the things that I’m doing, was really exciting,” she said. “Although I didn’t start this for recognition, just having that recognition, that ‘we see your efforts, we know that you’re doing this,’ that was really, really special.” She also had the chance to tour the Capitol with State Representative David Gomberg and observe how bills are discussed and passed. Beyond the honor itself, Elsie believes the project and the recognition will open doors for her future, from college admissions to scholarships and, possibly, a career in service.

“I think it would be really cool for colleges, and it already looks pretty awesome for the National Honor Society,” she said. “I’ve always been really interested in helping out people in whatever ways I can, but actually starting a project and going through with it has been really inspirational. I’ve met a lot of people whose full-time job is in community service work and helping people in similar ways. So that’s been really inspiring, and I feel like that could kind of impact what I do in the future.”

Despite the impact and attention, Elsie returns to what the clothing closet means day to day at school: a fun, welcoming space that brings people together around a shared purpose.

“I just really hope that other people start this,” she said. “Not only is it helpful to the community, it feels good. You know that you’re helping people. You’re helping reduce clothing waste. You’re helping people in need. It’s also super fun.” She recalls the first time she fully stocked the closet and walked by at lunchtime. “I saw a bunch of people, and they’re like, ‘Oh, look at this. Look at this,’” she said. “People see this, and they like this, and they think that this is helpful. I think it’s been a really fun experience.”

As conversations about recycling and sustainability often focus on bottles, cans, and packaging, Elsie hopes her project will also draw attention to the often-overlooked problem of textile waste—and show that one student’s idea can make a visible difference in both a school and a community.