I started volunteering at the Sharing Shelf my freshman year in high school, as part of a school service trip. At first I did not think much of the issue and just did the service because it was the right thing to do. However, I repeatedly went there again and again for service trips and I loved the place and people so much that for continued service I soon started serving on my own sorting and organizing clothing donations. I ended up going so much that I eventually got recognized as a frequent comer and received a title as a recycle and sorting manager for service days when I showed up.  Junior year, when I had a choice of an advocacy project, I chose the Sharing Shelf. As a volunteer I understood the value of my hours and witnessed people like me helping their community with manual service and donating clothing items that they could have easily and wastefully thrown away which is a huge problem for the world today. Food, water, shelter, and education are very important requirements for life, however, if you have improper or little clothing you cannot access them as easily as others. This makes the other issues a struggling individual might have even worse since they are lacking a societal norm that is so essential we often forget how hard life is or would be without it. The worst part is this is a hard form of poverty to break out of since clothing is so expensive and requires a large body of for normal daily life. Luckily there are plenty of ways to help this issue as there are more clothes on this planet than people. If you have a worn out and old pair of pants or jacket that you do not wear, think about the idea that it could go a long way for someone who has never owned anything close to what you have. So the next time you think of disposing of your clothing or holding action on what is not used, remember it would be a good idea to donate them as your old pieces of clothing you think no longer have value could mean the world to someone else. Through this organization and this project I hope to bring more awareness to this often overlooked problem and make a profound impact on my community before I leave for college. We rely on individuals, families, and groups to donate new or gently used clothing (from newborn to adult XXL), new socks and underwear, toiletries, diapers (especially size 5–6 and pull-ups) and hygienic products often are most needed especially for younger folks. We also depend heavily on volunteers (age 14+) who can sort, pack, and distribute these items in our warehouse, help with community drives, or assemble hygiene/backpack kits. Finally, financial contributions are vital, they give us flexibility to buy needed items, support pick-up services, and ensure we can meet growing demand, especially during the holiday season.