The AFG Care Closet team posing in the hallway Photo Credits: AFG
Rebecca Billette
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Watauga County saw an incredible outpouring of volunteer initiatives and service organizations. A surprising number of these originated from high school students. One such project was the Care Closet run by Watauga High School’s AFG (Athletes For Good) Club in the Watauga High School Media Center.
“The Care Closet started as an idea for a small store-like place where victims from Hurricane Helene could come and pick out clothes for free,” said Mary-Kathryn Riddle, senior on the AFG leadership team. “It turned into something much bigger than any of us could have ever imagined and it was a really inspiring experience.”
The Care Closet modeled the layout of a store, so that it was easy for people to find clothes that were both their size and style.
“Their lives are already hard enough,” said Donna Wellborn, AFG’s sponsor and Watauga High School English teacher. “We wanted this to be a place where they could come in and choose clothing that they actually liked. We did not want people to just come in and have to pilfer through trash bags. That’s not what we wanted their experience to be.”
Wellborn credited local businesses, including Carroll Leather Goods, Wee-Cycle Children’s Consignment, and Mast General Store, as some of the most generous supporters of the Care Closet effort.
“It has truly been so heartwarming to see how many people from all over the place have reached out to help us, and of course, I like to think that we do the same thing,” Wellborn said.
The AFG Care Closet was a valuable resource to the community, but a very difficult endeavor to undertake. The project involved sorting through over 12,000 pounds of clothes, many of which were unlabeled and unorganized.
The WHS hallway filled with trash bags of clothes Photo Credits: AFG
“I’ve learned a lot through this process- I think we all have,” Wellborn said. “I mean, every summer, I clean out my closet and donate to Goodwill. But now I know, when I do that next summer, I’m going to label things. I’m going to make it easy for them.”
The Care Closet was a community effort, and despite being a daunting task, had an incredibly positive impact on Watauga, helping to aid those in need during difficult times.
We had an amazing team of volunteers ranging from teachers, staff, students, and community members who came in ready to work everyday,” said Karsyn Lee, senior. “Seeing the community come together to help those in need was incredibly inspiring. In our time volunteering we got to meet so many amazing people who had lost everything in a matter of minutes.”
While overwhelming at times, volunteering at the Care Closet was fulfilling and it demonstrated the resilience and camaraderie in the Watauga community.
“My experience with the Care Closet was extremely positive,” Riddle said. “It was encouraging to see not only our community support this project but also those from other states. Along with many other aspects of post-hurricane recovery we received a huge response, and that is what I loved about this project. Being able to make a small difference in this community alongside my classmates, teachers, and administrators through the Care Closet is something that I will never forget. This was something that required so many people to accomplish and Watauga showed up as always.”
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