From high heels to winter jackets, ETHS Thrift Store is an event held twice a year—once on Oct. 28 and 29 and again on March 17 and 18—created and hosted by the Closet Committee of the Community Service Club. The shop re-sells affordable, gently used, second-hand clothing to support the ETHS Student Emergency Fund. Not only do the funds go to a good cause, but students have complete access to the shop to either buy or donate clothing. The location of the boutique is very convenient—in The Hub at ETHS. Students can drop by whenever they have time during the school day, and everything’s a dollar.

“It’s a really fun way to raise awareness around upcycling as well as get loads into the hands of people who want it. You find really expensive items at affordable prices,” explains Community Service Coordinator Diana Balitaan. The Thrift Shop lets students find new pieces they love to add to their wardrobe and stock up on items for the winter. 

“I liked that it was all very inexpensive. I got three necklaces, a pair of earrings and a t-shirt all for $3.50,” says sophomore Caroline Christon. The shop is always advertised through the Community Service Club Instagram, flyers and daily announcements.

The Community Service Club is all about civic engagement. There’s even the Civic Engagement Committee, but all committees are involved in the work. They spread the word about services in which students can be involved through ETHS and outside of it. Along with that, the Thrift Shop is one of the many ways ETHS is involved in civic engagement. The shop allows everyone to have a resource for clothing while helping the community by reusing items. 

“Civic engagement is about being involved in your community. It’s about being engaged. It’s about being active in the community,” Balitaan explains.

Being civically engaged in the community and school is vital because it helps students learn early how to work together to make a change and stand up for what they believe in. Giving students the resources to be engaged in the community at ETHS makes it easier for everyone to be involved in civic engagement. 

“It’s important to be involved and participate in our communities, because people are making decisions for us all the time,” Balitaan says. “Let’s also make decisions on what we want our community to look like.”