From left: Xavier students Lindsay Kearns, Alex Reese, Lisa Nicchi, and Ali Castillo, along with Kristen Dus, co-owner The Rowdy Boutique, spent the afternoon of Nov. 18 giving away gently used apparel and accessories to at-risk teenage girls and young women (photo by Sharon Kearns)

One of Lindsay’s goals for the project was to present the clothing in a boutique setting. Melissa Owens and Kristen Dues of Rowdy Boutique loved the idea and offered their store for the event, where girls also enjoyed refreshments and listened to music. They helped Lindsay plan the affair and added some of their own merchandise to the give-away.

More than 125 invitations were extended to girls through Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona, Youth at Risk, Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, and Home Base Youth Services, among others. More than 100 girls showed up for the giveaway event, leaving with 15 items or more apiece.

By the end of the day we had very little left,” said Sharon Kearns, Lindsay’s mom. “Our guests were extremely grateful, and several shared details of their circumstances. One brave woman from Chrysalis brought her daughter because they left an abusive home with only the clothes they were wearing. Optimistically, she said if we have it again next year she'll come ... she'll have a place of her own then. We all decided the real heroes were the girls and women who came to shop.”

While planning the event, Lindsay’s biggest concern was that she wouldn’t collect enough clothing. “The Xavier community was amazing,” said Lindsay. “I counted over 2,100 accessories and clothing items. There was clothing stacked 3 feet high!”

She also approached other nearby businesses for help and found everyone willing.  Jewish Family Services loaned clothing racks, Arizona Rentals supplied canopies, Windsor Cleaners offered hangers, AJ’s Fine Foods provided bags, and Salon Estique donated gifts for the girls.

“This has been so exciting and I want to repeat it next year,” said Lindsay. “My hope is that it will become an ongoing partnership between Xavier, community businesses, and these agencies.”