Kids in Yellowknife schools have a new discreet place to access basic hygiene products they canSA国际影视传媒檛 get at home, thanks to Yellowknifer Miriame Giroux.
Miriame Giroux meets with students at Mildred Hall to explain the Everyone聮s Closet project and what they can access for free.
The Everyone's Closet initiative, started up with a small community service grant from Rising Youth, stocks shelves with everything from shampoo to clean clothes and laundry detergent.
SA国际影视传媒淢y mom always taught me to be kind and help others when you can,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Giroux, 21, grew up and went to school in Yellowknife from kindergarten to grade 12.
SA国际影视传媒淢any of us in Yellowknife have experienced poverty and it can happen to anyone,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 really care about the students and it sucks not having shampoo or soap or clean clothes, especially for kids, because they canSA国际影视传媒檛 buy stuff on their own,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of people struggle sometimes with basic necessities, especially kids and students. They deserve to have those things and to feel clean and have clothes that fit them.SA国际影视传媒�
Giroux stocked shelves in three schools: Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo, Sir John Franklin High School and Mildred Hall School.
Although the funding is a one-off, with $1,500, Giroux has started up shelves in all three schools that she hopes to sustain with donations.
Her vision is seeing positive reception, said Kalemi Dene School principal Meagan Wowk.
The school has seen obvious uptake of the program and is already filling shelves again using stock purchased with the initial grant.
Brian Devogt, the father of one of the schoolSA国际影视传媒檚 teachers is a carpenter. He generously built and donated shelves to the school, said Wowk.
The school already provides emergency food packages for families, but EveryoneSA国际影视传媒檚 Closet goes a step further, said Wowk.
The need is there and kids are excited to see the project in the school, she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 just replenished it last week and kids were accessing it right away,SA国际影视传媒� said Wowk.
Giroux thought SA国际影视传媒渙utside the boxSA国际影视传媒� for the types of necessities students have but might be reluctant to ask an adult for, including condoms and pregnancy tests at the school, which teaches kindergarten up to grade 10.
SA国际影视传媒淭hose are important for kids to access,SA国际影视传媒� said Wowk.
SA国际影视传媒淢iriame left us with a huge container of stock so when weSA国际影视传媒檙e ready we throw things in. We have a big bin of all kinds of goodies,SA国际影视传媒� said Wowk.
SA国际影视传媒淗ow grateful we are for Miriame to consider us and that she took this initiative and is seeking other donations. What a wonderful leader,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Students can scoop up shampoo, conditioner, body wash and feminine hygiene products with the promise of complete privacy, said Giroux.
SA国际影视传媒淚t feels better if you donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to ask someone and you feel more independent,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Donations can come through the schools directly or to EveryoneSA国际影视传媒檚 Closet, which Giroux runs as a Facebook page.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 my dream, that it will always be there for the students.SA国际影视传媒�
