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‘It’s a girl thing’
Xavier students gather clothes for at-risk women
By Rebecca Bostic The Catholic Sun
December 6, 2007
Lindsay Kearns is just as into fashion as most girls her age. Yet her passion isn’t for trips to the mall, but for serving girls who can’t afford fashionable clothes.
Kearns, a junior at Xavier College Preparatory, first held a two-week clothing drive for gently used items at her high school. Then she set up an outdoor clothing store behind the Rowdy Boutique in Phoenix and invited at-risk teenage girls and young women from various shelters to shop for free on Nov. 18.
“If they can’t afford to go shopping and get all the clothes that they need — or that they want — they can come here and get lots of stuff,” Kearns said of the event, dubbed “It’s a Girl Thing.”
Donations included everything thing from shoes to swimsuits and room décor. Roughly 120 participants chose 15 items each from the hundreds Kearns and other Xavier students collected.
Kearns sponsored the boutique to fulfill Xavier’s requirement of 50 hours of service in the junior year. Sr. Lynn Winsor, BVM, vice principal of Xavier College Preparatory, applauded Kearns’ unique approach.
“Lindsay is living out the true mission of Xavier, that of helping others,” Sr. Lynn said. “It was a great project.”
Although many don’t consider fashion a charitable need, Kearns knows how important fashion is for young women — especially women in difficult life situations.
“To some people it might seem a little superficial because it’s clothing, but it has to do with the name ‘It’s a Girl Thing.’ Guys probably wouldn’t understand,” she said.
“It makes you feel better about yourself when you think you look cute. It’s a way to help boost girls’ self esteem when they’re going through really tough issues,” Kearns added. “They shouldn’t have to be worrying about clothes when they’re going through other stuff.”
Two female teenagers who came to shop from Phoenix Youth at Risk, and who cannot be named due to safety issues, were thrilled with the wide selection.
“It’s clothes. Girls love clothes,” one said explaining why she came. “I love shopping and this is like shopping.”
Excited to “get nicer stuff that would be really expensive,” these girls were on the same page as Kearns.
Ali Castillo, a freshman at Xavier College Preparatory, served as the self-appointed “sidekick” to Kearns. She found that many girls at her school were excited to help others by donating secondhand items for the boutique.
Looking good is important for girls, Castillo said.
“It shouldn’t be, but all girls think it is,” she said. “It’s just good to help out with girls who might find it a little bit harder to do that.”
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