Laura Graham was a freshman when she had an idea for teen charity; 1 Closet, collecting gently used and new clothing for teenage boys and girls in need. As a group, teens are the most often overlooked for donations and foster kids have a $224 a year clothing allowance.

Laura partners with more than 15 High Schools in two counties, holding clothing drives along with several schools donating their lost and found garments. On average, she has two or more high school drives each month, followed quickly by a sort and distribute, delivering 500-600 needed garments per delivery. Clean garments are carefully folded and packaged for easy distribution. “This is not about parents writing checks. When a teen donates something of their own, it becomes personal.”

The impact has been significant.  She has collected and donated over 15,500 garments, approximately $110,000 worth, making a difference to more than 8,000 teens and helping them return to the classroom. return, the challenged youth are returning to school. The concept of clothes sharing is popular, however this teenager has clearly taken it a step farther with a ‘why not’ attitude.