Volunteers help students get their 'swag' on at Sullivan East

BLUFF CITY — When lunch period arrived for students at Sullivan East High School on Wednesday, the destination for many was not the cafeteria, but rather Sullivan East's "Swag Shop." Now in its fifth year at Sullivan East, the swag shop offers free clothing and other necessities to students and — on occasion — the broader community. As students walk up the ramp into the modular unit behind the school, they find what looks like a miniature store, filled with racks of clothes for every occasion. Before the swag shop moved to Sullivan East, it operated out of a closet in Central Middle School. When it moved to the high school, it flourished. The swag shop is open to Sullivan East students every Wednesday and Thursday during lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. It is operated by volunteers, and the items are either purchased by those volunteers or donated by the community. Students, faculty and staff have all used the swag shop and donated back to it. Swag shop clothing can be used or new. The shop offers teen-specific clothes, helping students feel comfortable in their outfits. All swag shop clothing is school-appropriate. As events like homecoming spirit week or prom approach, the shop volunteers will cater clothing to those needs. Any donations that do not fit that criteria are donated to Recovery Soldiers Ministries in Elizabethton. The shop also offers other items such as toiletries, feminine products and snacks. The swag shop volunteers are held in high regard by student shoppers. Edward Adams has been volunteering at the swag shop for four years, but when in the store, it's unlikely to hear him called anything besides "Mr. Swag," a nickname given to him by the students. Kathy Hare — mother of Principal Andy Hare — is also a volunteer and has heard the nickname "Mama Hare." Adams said he loves volunteering at the swag shop, and the best part is being a support system for students. "A lot of the guys come up and confide in me about personal things and, we won't get into what they are, but they talk to me because they don't have a dad at home, they're living with a grandparent or whatever, and we just communicate. It gives them a way to vent. The girls do the same with Ms. Hare. It's just a blessing you can't imagine," he said. The swag shop's service goes beyond shopping time for students. Two or three times a year, they host community days where anyone can visit the shop and pick out some items. "We put that on Facebook, send out emails and stuff that anybody in the community can come, and there's always a good turnout for that," Adams said. The shop also functions as a space for different campus groups such as work-based learning, Jobs for America's Graduates and special education to practice skills or obtain professional clothing for interviews. Reagan Brunswick, a sophomore at Sullivan East, has enjoyed the swag shop since she first went as a freshman. "It's just fun to go up to and you can get a bunch of things that are free. It's really good for the community because even if you don't have money, you can come up here," she said. "Everyone's just so sweet and everyone's so nice that works up here. It's just a very good community." People who are interested in donating to the swag shop can drop off items at Sullivan East's main office Monday through Friday.