Orcas Christian School clothing bank coming up

||| FROM MERRICK PARNELL for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL |||

Orcas Christian School (OCS) has a long tradition of serving the community through various projects. This weekend, the school is gearing up for its annual Clothing Bank, a free clothing drive supporting islanders for 30 years. It was first held at the Odd Fellows Hall in 1994 before moving to the OCS gym.

This year’s Clothing Bank, which will feature men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, bedding, and accessories, will be held on October 25 from 2 to 5 p.m. and on October 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Since the founding of OCS, this [the Clothing Bank] has been a great opportunity for students to serve our community. We enjoy this event’s community connectedness,” said OCS Principal Terry Pottle.

In supporting the Clothing Bank each fall, OCS gives up using the gym to provide a space for the event. Staff and students assist by setting up tables, collecting clothing, and transporting items to the gym for setup. Many older students also help with sorting and folding.

The Clothing Bank allows students and staff to serve the community and build valuable relationships. “Facilitating community connectedness is one of our top vision goals at Orcas Christian School. Any opportunity to come into close contact with island folks is a great thing for me and the students. Learning and understanding the organic network of island relationships is important to island life and beneficial to all of us. This kind of learning experience makes events like the Clothing Bank beloved and special to all, including teachers,” said OCS teacher Andy Rivera.

During the week, students at OCS help with the production of the clothing bank and look forward to the experience.
“Helping at the clothing bank is a great experience. I get to sort clothes and help people find what they need. It feels nice to give back to the community and see smiles on people’s faces when they find something they like,” said OCS Junior, Maria Burns. “It somehow changes how I think. I see how important it is to give what I have. I’ve learned to appreciate what I own more and understand that there are still people out there who need things more than me.

After the Clothing Bank concludes, students and staff help clean up and transport leftover clothes off the island to other organizations for donation.

For more information on the Clothing Bank and Orcas Christian School, call 360-376-6683 or visit oics.org.