W.F. West High School students now have an affordable, environmentally friendly way to refresh their wardrobes, thanks to high school junior Avery Brundage.
The outcome of Brundage’s independent study entrepreneurship project, Bearcat Thrift, had its grand opening inside W.F. West High School on Wednesday.
The in-school thrift store is currently open to students on select Wednesdays, with clothing, shoes and accessories on sale for $10 or less.
Bearcat merchandise, such as donated school sweatshirts and uniforms, is available for free. The shop also has select merchandise available for free on spirit days so more students are able to participate.
“Personally, I’ve always thrifted and it’s always been something that I’ve done, and something I noticed in our school is that like 70% of our school is under the line of poverty, so it’s really important to make clothing, which is a necessary thing, accessible to everyone,” Brundage said. “By having it here at school, where they’re already at, like, that’s really accessible.”
Brundage came up with the idea for Bearcat Thrift after she attended a W.F. West High School leadership camp last summer where photography, yearbook and entrepreneurship teacher Alison Clinton was running a business skills station.
“I do an entrepreneurship class, but it wasn’t offered this year, so she’s doing an independent study,” Clinton said of Brundage.
Independent study required Brundage to be self-motivated, using the class period allotted for her project to work on a logo, mission and goals for the thrift store before enacting a business plan to get the store open.
“It really was kind of to break barriers, like that thrifting is OK, and also being sustainable and … encouraging peers to be generous and donate,” Clinton said.
Many of Brundage’s peers resort to buying fast-fashion items from companies such as Shein because of their affordability, but those items often degrade quickly and are made in a way that’s bad for the environment, she said.
“I think it’s a much more environmentally friendly way (to shop), to thrift,” Brundage said.
Bearcat Thrift is a student and volunteer operation, with a repurposed classroom serving as the shop’s location and W.F. West’s shop and sign making students making the signage that hangs inside. Chehalis Outfitters and St. Joseph Church donated clothing racks, the local Gap donated hangers and school staff provided other donations to help get Bearcat Thrift started.
“It’s been a cool thing. People have been really helpful in wanting to be part of it,” Clinton said.
All money raised by Bearcat Thrift will go toward Chehalis student organizations, such as FFA, Skills USA, band and orchestra.
“It always goes back to the kids, which was really important to do,” Clinton said.
Community members or organizations interested in donating teen-sized clothes, shoes or accessories are encouraged to email bearcatthrift@chehalisschools.org to arrange a drop-off time.
There is a donation bin inside the store, so families of W.F. West students can send donations to school with their students to drop off.
For more information about Bearcat Thrift, visit the store’s Instagram page at bearcat.thrift.
