Avon Central School District is moving forward with plans for a new Student Council program that will provide free personal care items, clothing and athletic gear to middle and high school students who would otherwise have difficulty obtaining such items.
The Closet, as the program has been dubbed, is made possible by a $4,000 donation from E. Philip Saunders, a Livingston County native, entrepreneur and philanthropist who supports a variety of local charitable organizations through his family’s namesake foundation.
“Mr. Saunders’ incredible generosity is well-known across the entire region so it was no surprise that he and his foundation would choose to support this new effort here at Avon,” said Leigh Major, a business teacher who’s helping launch The Closet. “We’re incredibly grateful to Mr. Saunders, his foundation and the entire Saunders family for this donation - it will make an immediate, tangible and positive impact in the lives of our students who need it most.”
Shari Pascuzzo, executive assistant to Saunders, said giving to The Closet is a chance to “pay it forward,” which is what the Saunders Foundation is all about.
“When my friend, Leigh Major, mentioned Avon’s desire to create a closet, I jumped at the opportunity to help,” said Pascuzzo who, like Saunders, is a Livingston County native. “So many families are currently struggling and through The Closet, we have the ability to directly impact the student. Our hope is that with this donation, we can help lift a student and allow their focus to be where it should – preparing for success and following their dreams.”
Saunders cut his business teeth 1958 when he began working at his father’s truck stop. In the years that followed, he founded multiple companies such as Genesee Regional Bank, Griffith Energy and Travel Centers of America and has earned a reputation as a devout philanthropist ever since creating the Saunders Foundation in 1987.
Major got the idea for The Closet during a recent conversation with High School Principal Ryan Wagner about how to get students more involved in service opportunities.
“I said ‘I really feel like we need to do something more giving with our students whether it’s working at a soup kitchen - just have students go and do something a little more for the community,’” Major recalled. “I thought ‘Why not direct our efforts toward doing something for the school, for our own kids who really need it?’”
Major then got together with Student Council advisors Mary Keymel, a high school science teacher, and Amanda Schroeder, a curriculum coordinator and integration specialist, and they decided to forge ahead with making The Closet a reality.
The trio is eyeing a large closet in the high school’s old home and careers room as The Closet’s permanent home.
“There’s a washer and dryer in there and it’s pretty big,” Major said, “so I think that’s going to work out nicely.”
Avon’s Closet will be modeled after the one teacher and coach Dennis Bzduch began at York Central Schools before his death in 2020, said Major. The Loft, as York’s space is now known, was and is a place for needy students to go to get things like winter clothing, shoes, prom dresses and personal hygiene items.
“It looks like a store, it’s beautiful,” said Major, a York alumna whose kids also attended the district. “You should see it. It’s ridiculous.”
Avon’s Closet will take a similar approach, said Major, with counselors, coaches, nurses and teachers all helping identify students who could use something from The Closet.
“If an entire sports team buys warmups but a kid can’t spend the $40 to get one, then The Closet can put up the money for that kid to buy a warmup or if a student needs cleats or something and they can't afford it, very discreetly the coach can talk to a counselor and go in and take the student into The Closet and have them pick out what they need,” she said. “Or even just Avon attire - a t-shirt or hoodie or something like that so that they feel like they’re part of the building, part of the school community.”
Major said The Closet is already receiving donations and that she, Keymel and Schroeder are in the process of placing an initial Amazon order for personal hygiene supplies that will allow it to begin operating and keep it stocked for the foreseeable future.
“Liz Cooke, one of our other high school counselors, came up with the idea of having student council do backpacks that are like emergency backpacks that have a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, all the things and then kids could go in and grab it with all the supplies in it,” Major said. “We’re hoping by Christmas time we’re going to be fully fledged if not by Thanksgiving.”
Abby S., a junior who serves as Student Council co-president along with senior Ellah J., is hopeful about The Closet and what impact it will have on students in need.
“I think over time as it develops, the variety of what’s available - especially clothing wise - will be a very positive factor,” she said. “Clothing is not only a necessity, but also a powerful form of expression, especially in these years of school.”
Considering a lot of the clothing The Closet is ultimately stocked with will likely come via donations from fellow students, Abby said it stands to reason a student who comes into The Closet will be able to find something they like and and actually want to wear.
“By donating clothing that is in good condition, you are giving people more options of self expression,” said Abby. “When in a time of need, taking this worry off of a student’s mind can do wonders.”
Student Council is seeking donations to help stock The Closet. See the informational flier at the bottom of this article for a full list of needed items.
Donations can be dropped off at the High School Main Office, 245 Clinton St., or Middle School Main Office, 191 Clinton St., during regular school hours.
Those seeking to make a monetary donation should make their check payable to the Avon High School Student Council and write “The Closet” in the memo line.
Major said she sees a growing need among students in Avon and is hopeful the community chooses to support The Closet, which she feels can function as a powerful force for good throughout the middle and high schools.
“There’s some really impoverished kids and families and then there's some people that have some wealth, so why can’t we give back a little more?” she said. “Given the opportunity to do good, our kids step forward. They really do. So I think this is going to get big because this is a really giving community. It really is and I’m pretty excited to see where it goes.”
Questions about The Closet can be directed to:
• Leigh Major: (585) 226-2455, ext. 1810 or lmajor@avoncsd.org
• Mary Keymel: (585) 226-2455, ext. 1803 or mkeymel@avoncsd.org
• Amanda Schroeder: (585) 226-2455, ext. 1639 or aschroeder@avoncsd.org
Student Council members and Advisors Mary Keymel and Amanda Schroeder are pictured above organizing clothing donated to The Closet during a recent Student Council meeting.
An informational flier about The Closet that outlines what kind of items are being sought and how to make a donation.