By Olivia DeWan, contributor
Harrisonburg High School is inviting the community to help “Stuff the Trunk” on Saturday, November 15, to support Bolt’s Closet, a free resource that provides personal care items to students and their families. Volunteers will be collecting donations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Walmart Center on Burgess Road.
Madison Greer, a school counselor at Harrisonburg High School, joined forces with Roni Goldberg, a social worker at HHS, in a mission to support their students. They opened a grant last year, and the birth of Bolt’s Closet began with the collection of feminine care products, but has since expanded greatly.
“Madison and I work together at Harrisonburg High School,” Goldberg said. “We wrote a grant that provided funds so we could start a personal care closet for students. We have a really high population of students from low-income housing, and we did not want personal care items to be a barrier for them.”
Goldberg and Greer have since championed personal care for their students.
“I think it’s very important to raise awareness,” Goldberg said. “People tend to focus on elementary-aged students with coats, boots, and winter gear. This [Bolt’s Closet] is just something very specific, and I don’t know how many people would consider how much of a need personal care items are for many people.”
Recognizing the need to support students, the Harrisonburg Police Department stepped up to help. Known for their annual school supply drives, the Department offered to organize a similar initiative dedicated to collecting personal care items for Bolt’s Closet.
Goldberg and Greer said that Sergeant Kevin Fowler approached them with the partnership opportunity, provided the officers, and even scheduled the event with Walmart.
“We are just the recipients of his generosity,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg said that part of their initiative has been strengthening their community bonds, which Sargent Fowler is helping them with.
“Madison and I knew this would be part of keeping the grant open,” Goldberg said. “We have really been trying this year to build those connections because we don’t want to continually ask staff or families to donate since they are oftentimes the ones who need these products.”
The grant that Goldberg and Greer initially wrote relied on monetary donations. Since then, they have sought support from the wider community.
“I really hope we get donations and that people consider us when they’re looking for programs to sponsor,” Goldberg said. “It would be amazing if people could help spread the word that we are collecting any personal care items people would be willing to provide.”
The Harrisonburg community has been eager to rally around Bolt’s Closet and aid students in need. Earlier this year, the Harrisonburg High School football team organized a car wash fundraiser, donating their proceeds to Bolt’s Closet.
“Something that we are trying to get our community members to see is changing the narrative around personal care items,” Greer said. “Yes, personal care is a basic human right, however for some people it is treated more as a privilege. How can we expect our students to come to school and be the best version of themselves when they’re not able to take care of themselves physically?”
Personal care items that can be donated include, but are not limited to, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, feminine products, hairbrushes, and combs.
“This is our first really big drive,” Goldberg said. “It’s so exciting to see it come together. People are using Bolt’s Closet, so we know the need is being met, and that feels very important and makes us realize how necessary this is.”
