Tiger Cub Closet helping elementary students stand a little taller; group’s social media posts urgent needs
By Angela Shepherd
GEVS
Needs get met when someone notices the need then does something about it. This is how the Tiger Cub Closet came to be.
It’s a program that provides clothing items to elementary students within the Greenfield school district, and according to Superintendent Quincey Gray during the September school board meeting where the program’s volunteers were recognized, theTiger Cub Closet was born from a need that was recognized by board member Rachel Fraley, who then followed through on the idea and brought it to life.
Fraley said when she volunteered to help during the end-of-the-school year Super Games this past spring, she noticed so many students wearing clothing and/or shoes that didn’t fit, some even visibly worn or dirty. Shortly after this when she was at the awards assemblies for elementary students, she said she noticed the same thing. Fraley said seeing children proudly walk across the stage in shoes two sizes two big really stayed with her.
That same day, Fraley reached out to school administrators to see if she could organize a clothing closet for elementary students. A similar program, MHSmart, has been available to older students for a few years.
“I spent the summer planning, collecting, and organizing donations, and by the time school started, we hosted a back-to-school clothing event to get essentials into students’ hands right away,” Fraley said.
Following the first event at the beginning of the school year, Fraley posted a narrative of the event on the Tiger Club Closet Facebook page that included accounts of the impact of the clothing closet on struggling families and children.
“This evening, our school’s cafetorium turned into something unforgettable - a place where kids left standing taller, smiling bigger, and ready to start the school year with confidence,” Fraley wrote in that post. “It wasn’t just about clothes. It was about dignity, hope, and the joy of knowing you matter,” she continued.
“Over and over, parents said they couldn’t believe this was real. They were deeply grateful. Tables stayed neat because families helped fold and organize. There were no negative comments - only kindness,” the post reads.
Another event was held in October, and this one, according to the group’s Facebook page, included not only clothes and shoes, but Halloween costumes provided by Y-Gradale and even pumpkins and carving kits, and it's all thanks to the generosity of the community.
This is the first year for the program, but Fraley said they have been able to help approximately 100 elementary students at each of the two events held so far by distributing gently-used shoes and clothing items donated by the community to kids that need them in Greenfield, Buckskin, and Rainsboro elementaries, grades preschool through fifth.
Fraley said at the September school board meeting that this undertaking was something that she would never have been able to do alone, and recognized with gratitude the volunteers behind the initiative.
Those volunteers are Alycia Ralph, Violet Ralph, Genevieve Ralph, Hudson Fraley, Mia Fraley, Nicole Peterman, Chris Murphy, Phoebe Murphy, Shyanna Wagner, Michelle Haines, Libby Haines, Susan Thompson, Carol Wend, Shawnee Hurley, Tiffany Maag, Madison Schumacher, Faitha Shelton, Marilyn Mitchell, and the students of the McClain FFA.
Reaching out is easy and can be done by messaging the Tiger Cub Closet Facebook page or through email at rachel.fraley@greenfieldmcclain.org. There is also an Amazon wishlist linked on the Facebook page and urgent needs are also posted on the page. Volunteers are always welcome to help with sorting and organizing.
“We can’t change every circumstance a child faces”, Fraley said, “but we can make sure they walk into school feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to learn.”
