High school students and the Junior Chamber of Commerce Club worked on the Teens for Jeans campaign again this year, with students, staff and community partners recently collecting more than 500 pairs of gently used or new denim jeans to be donated to teens residing in homeless shelters. Students in teacher Renée Clock’s work experience class then interned at the Town of Islip Youth Bureau, sorting and packaging the jeans for delivery.

Community partners on this initiative also included Town Councilwoman Mary Kate Mullen; Suffolk County Legislators Tom Cilmi, Steven J. Flotteron and William J. Lindsay III; Kennedy LI Realty; and the Exchange Ambulance of the Islips

“We began participating in the Teens for Jeans campaign seven years ago through DoSomething.org,” said Clock. “We originally partnered with Melanie Holz of the South Shore Community Organization. This year, we had seven drop-off sites within the Town of Islip. Youth Bureau Director Tim Mare has been indispensable in helping us coordinate this campaign and the pickup and delivery of the jeans to the local homeless shelters and outreach centers in our area.” 

Cilmi, whose office has participated as a drop-off site since 2012, told the students, “Keep helping others in your community and be proud of yourselves for taking the time to help the less fortunate.”

As the students were loading the jeans on the truck, Clock reminded them how important it is to help others and to seek opportunities to be leaders.  
“You do not need to spend money to help others,” said Clock. “Find a way you can help and make a difference in someone’s life, it will keep you humble. Remember, there will always be people who need your help and there will always be a way for you to help others.”