A local elementary school has given its old concession stand new life while also providing one more valuable resource to students and their families.

Piney Chapel Principal Rebecca Daniels said she got the idea for a clothes closet several months ago after hearing about other schools with similar programs. When they started the project, donations flowed in from several directions.

“We’ve gotten donations from faculty members, parents — all kinds of people have donated,” Daniels said. “We’ve gotten some items from our federal programs director.”

She said they originally didn’t have a great place to put it. However, with some help from custodians and volunteers, they were able to renovate an old concession stand.

“The custodians worked and got it cleaned up,” Daniels said. “We had some shelves built and donated to organize it a little bit.”

She said the closet has since proven itself a valuable resource to parents and teachers.

“It’s mainly for our families if they need something,” Daniels said. “We also use it as a resource at the school so if a child has an accident, spills milk on themselves or something, then we have clothes for that.”

In turn, parents volunteer to clean out the closet and make sure it’s ready for the next person in need.

“It’s a constant thing with parents going out there and weeding out things for different seasons and going through what’s donated to make room,” Daniels said. “… We don’t have a huge selection, but we have some of everything.”

That includes clothes for adults and even toiletry items. The principal said Piney Chapel wants to make sure everybody has what they need, and the closet provides one more way to do just that.

Those who wish to help support the clothes closet can do so by calling the school at 256-233-6674.