MANSFIELD — Learning Algebra and world history is hard enough without holes in your shoes.
But for some students at Mansfield Senior High School, a lack of sufficient clothing and footwear is a real challenge.
That’s why the school partnered with The New Store to launch a pilot program called Tyger Threads.
The Tyger Threads room at Mansfield Senior High School is stocked with clothing, undergarments, shoes, winter coats and personal care items. All are brand new and carefully selected for teens.
“We want them to find clothes that look good, fit good, feel good,” said Kelly Andress, executive director of The New Store. “They can pick out what they like.
“We have a dressing room in there so they can try on everything, make sure it fits.”
Students from the career tech entrepreneurship class named the program and designed the logo.
Mansfield Senior High School Principal Kris Beasley said the store offers a convenient resource for students who may have difficulty accessing needed clothing due to financial or transportation hurdles.
The partnership has allowed The New Store to serve older students, something Andress has wanted to do for a while.
“Last summer, we sat down with the guidance office here at Senior High and said, ‘How can we meet this need?'” she said. “‘Is there an opportunity for us to create a mini New Store, so to speak, here at the school?”
Tyger Threads serves nearly 50 kids in first year
Andress said neither the school nor The New Store actively promoted Tyger Threads during its first year, but it served nearly 50 students through teacher and staff referrals.
Beasley said he’s been pleasantly surprised by the number of kids who have utilized the program.
“High school kids are proud,” Beasley said. “For 50 kids to come and ask for help, I think that’s speaks to the culture we’re developing.
“The kids know that people are here to help them and support them and not to be embarrassed.”
Tyger Threads’ day-to-day operations are handled by Mansfield Senior’s guidance counselors. The New Store handles inventory.
Volunteers intentionally select clothing they think teens will enjoy and avoid purchasing large quantities of the same item so each child’s outfits are unique.
“Very few things over there are duplicates,” said Barb Stamper, one of The New Store’s board members. “They can’t be picked out in a crowd to say, ‘Oh, I know where they got that.'”
The team behind Tyger Threads said giving students a chance to pick out a few brand new outfits goes beyond addressing a basic need. It also gives students a sense of agency and boosts confidence.
“These are kids. They want to look cute. They want to have nice things and they don’t have the funds to go to even Walmart or the dollar store and get it,” Beasley said.
“For them to be able to come here and pick up something a little nice so they feel like a teenager and blend in is a great thing.”
This pilot program started as a service for high school students, but Beasley said the plan is to extend Tyger Threads to the middle school in the fall.
The New Store is a local non-profit agency that supports children across Richland County through a variety of programs.
Community members who wish to support the program can do so by donating to The New Store and writing “Tyger Threads” on the memo line. Donations can also be made online at The New Store’s website.
