By Pham Tran
If your parents got confused and chose a shopping addict child, then you’re in luck because Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) just added a brand new fashion club onto the roster!
Clothing for Care (CFC) was founded by two hardworking and talented sophomores, Erin Do (Co-President) and Megan Nguyen (Co-President).
Do and Megan Nguyen worked along with their board members, Emily Chan (Secretary), Mikayla Nguyen (Treasurer), Angelina Nguyen (Co-Activities), Karalyn Law (Co-Activities) and Leanne Pham (Publicist), all in favor of running the only sustainable fashion club on FVHS campus. Although everyone has different personalities, their friendliness and the desire to promote a green planet brought them together.
Every time they sit down and collaborate, billions of fantastic ideas are produced. The organization is the specialty of CFC, as specific times will always be on their calendar with future events that they have planned.
“Clothing for Care aims to promote sustainable and ethical fashion practices among people at FVHS. We want to reduce the impact of fast fashion on our earth and environment,” Do said.
“It’s just a way that we can get students to support the school in the future. So we want to do the best we can to get clothing donations to support and spread information on how fast fashion can be harmful,” Megan Nguyen said.
Do and Megan Nguyen faced the impacts of fast fashion themselves. Just like every teenage girl, they enjoy shopping and use it as their therapy to de-stress. But being at their happy place and knowing that the quality of clothes they’re getting doesn’t deserve their money became a concern for both.
It started with an idea to form a thrifting club, but they wanted to bring their call to action to life. Do and Megan Nguyen desired to bring to FVHS a community where students don’t just join clubs to gain service hours, but also a community where everyone can relate and promote the bigger mission of sustainability together.
“It’s really hard to find clothing nowadays that isn’t bulk. Like food and stuff, they’re made in factories and are harmful to the environment,” Megan Nguyen said. “So I just want to have my mind at ease when I’m shopping and have other people know what they’re doing is wrong too. We will try to make an impact in the future and can have a more eco-friendly place to shop.”
On September 26 and 27 during lunch, the famous annual Club Rush will come back to the FVHS campus. Club Rush is an event where students can explore different clubs and find the one that best suits their interests. The event is also where every club at FVHS will show their students what their club is all about and deliver their goals and messages to future members.
CFC is not an exception to this as you will see them going around the bowl and spreading their words and energy to others.
They want everyone to get hyped about what their club has in store and come join hands to create a sustainable planet with eco-friendly fashion. FVHS students will also receive cute giveaways, including candies and bows, from these ladies besides the engaging and energizing talks that they will bring up with their positive vibes during Club Rush.
“We will go around the bowl and spread awareness of our club. Passing out bows is a good way for people to remember us because I think it’s just an appealing, not really mascot, but just sort of a trade paper,” Do said.
Although CFC has just landed in FVHS recently, it will surely have a place in everyone’s hearts. CFC can always distinguish itself from other sustainable and eco-friendly clubs living on campus with its aura.
“I know there are clubs surrounding sustainability and being environmentally friendly, but this club is different because it focuses on something all students at FV can relate to, fashion. There isn’t a club focusing on fashion that’s sustainable and healthy for our Earth,” Do said.
Members can await exciting events hosted by CFC upcoming. Clothing drives, for instance, are where CFC will receive second-hand clothing donations from students and staff. The club board will turn them into useful funds and donate to various local charities and organizations that support low-income families and children out there in need. Engaging seminars will also be included on the list where people, especially young audiences, can learn more about the impact of fast fashion on the planet. DIY sessions will also be a special highlight of the club, as members will have on hand experience of how to upcycle their clothing.
Unexpected challenges always come along with the process of establishing a new club on campus but for CFC, giving up never existed in their dictionary. Do and Nguyen had a hard time looking for an advisor at first as a lot of teachers have already had at least one club that they are responsible for. But that final spark of hope happened when they went to room 222 to see Kenny Nguyen, an Accelerated Geometry and Precalculus teacher at FVHS, he was persuaded by their determination and agreed to be CFC’s official advisor.
“He’s a nice person, and I think he was happy to let us use his classroom,” Do said.
“He could do whatever he could to make this thing work and we appreciated that. His energy also matches our energy. So, I feel like we could bring it together,” Megan Nguyen said.
In the future, CFC wishes to collaborate with other FVHS clubs that also share a common goal of promoting sustainability to the planet, such as Ecology Club, Sealeaf or Public Works. As part of CFC’s overall development later on, they wish to thrive further by offering thrifting socials and clothing drives within these collaborations to promote secondhand fashion and also where students can earn service hours and member points.
