Monroe High School sophomore Natalee Boone wanted to help homeless youth, so she set about providing the one thing that no teenager can live without ' jeans.
Boone's Teens for Jeans campaign netted more than 150 pairs of jeans that were donated to homeless teens in the Monroe community and beyond. She stumbled across Teens for Jeans on DoSomething.org, a youth-oriented website dedicated to social change. She sought support for her efforts through the Monroe High School Key Club, bringing it on board to help. Club members made "Jeans 4 Homeless TeensGÇ¥ posters, encouraging students to donate their gently-used jeans.
"I thought it would be good to have the students be involved in helping other students, because there's people struggling at our school,GÇ¥ Boone said. "I thought it would be a good idea.GÇ¥
The Monroe High School Key Club is a student organization focused on community outreach inside and outside the school. Sponsored by Kiwanis International, the club's mission is to "promote service, leadership and education by providing opportunities for Monroe High School students to support their community.GÇ¥ Club activities include activities like blood drives, community cleanup events, food bank support and volunteering for local schools and organizations.
The club's efforts went global in 2013, when it collected funds to help kids in Nepal.
In addition to gathering donated jeans from Key Club members and other students at school, Boone also used JustServe.org, a website that links volunteers to different projects. People with jeans to donate were invited to drop them off at Boone's house, and then Boone transported them to the school.
The number of jeans donated was pretty even across the two platforms, Boone said. She may have gotten a few more pairs of jeans through JustServe.org than she did at school, she said, but it was pretty close.
"It was fairly equal, I would say,GÇ¥ Boone said.
Boone collected jeans from mid-January through the end of February, and has continued to receive additional donations. She donated 131 pairs of jeans to Take the Next Step, a Monroe-based nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income and homeless families in Monroe by providing meals, clothing and access to services. Surplus jeans that trickled in after the campaign concluded will be donated to Youth Care, a teen shelter in Seattle.
Boone is familiar with Take the Next Step because she volunteers at Kidz Club, an after-school program that serves elementary school students every Tuesday and Thursday.
"I just kind of help elementary kids with their homework,GÇ¥ Boone said.
It was through her volunteer work at Kidz Club that she became inspired to do something to help youth in Monroe that struggle with homelessness.
"I knew that there were people in our community that struggle with homelessness, so I just wanted to help,GÇ¥ Boone said.
In addition to serving her community and participating in Key Club, Boone is in track and cross country. She lives in Monroe with her parents, Kerry and Nate, and her four siblings; Emma, Claire, Benson and Kaylee.
"Natalee is independent and self-motivated when it comes to serving others,GÇ¥ her mother said. "She prefers to quietly serve without drawing attention to herself. It is always interesting to see what she will do next.GÇ¥
Photo by Sarah Foster Natalee BooneGÇÖs volunteer work at Take The Next Step inspired her to do something more to help youth struggling with homelessness.
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