BUTTE — At Montana Tech in Butte, they not only provide students with an education, but they also provide them with basic needs. Some students don’t even have warm clothes to get them through the winter, so they started a free clothing closet so that students can pick out what they need.
“It’s kind of taken me by surprise that it’s caught on like wildfire, if you will, but it’s a good thing,” said Montana Tech’s Outreach and Belonging Program Manager Cheyenne Crooker.
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For Phyllis Amon, who is an international student from Africa, it was a blessing.
“There’s no winter in Ghana and it’s my first time, so it was very cold for us international students and I really need this. It kept me warm,” said Amon.
Even U.S. students find themselves ill-prepared for the weather.
“Just say somebody earlier today slipped on the way into a building, because he was wearing Krocs, and I was like, you know, let’s get some winter shoes on those feet,” said Crooker.
Many students can’t afford new clothes or are too busy with school to shop. People are encouraged to donate to the program by dropping off coats, shirts, sweaters, warm socks, and shoes at the Engineering Hall, the Student Union, or the Student Success Center.
“If they are clothed properly for where we live, that’s one less thing they have to worry about. Right? So, they’re going to be more successful students, more successful people in the community, and if they see this beautiful thing that the community is doing for students, maybe they’re more likely to get into the community and give back,” said Crooker.
