Student collects hundreds of jeans for homeless teens

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s a wardrobe staple for most folks: a great pair of blue jeans. An East Vancouver high school student has started a drive to help homeless teens get their hands on some jeans.

Steven Hall is a Grade 12 student at Gladstone Secondary; he has a part-time job at Aerpostale at Metropolis Metrotown. The jeans drive was a work initiative that he took back to school and it quickly took off. So far, more than 600 pairs have been collected.

“It’s not just going to all [people who are] homeless. It’s directed at teen homelessness, and you’re helping out someone who is around the same age as you. That’s what made me [do it], and that’s why I was blown away,” says Hall.

Lindsay Goodridge is one of Hall’s teachers; she’s proud of him and his classmates. “It’s amazing. It’s the whole reason why I do my job.”

“As a leadership teacher, one of the first questions that I asked [the students] is what they are passionate about and how they can take that thing and bring it to people that didn’t have that opportunity in life,” she explains.

Hall says it was the least he could do to help mitigate the growing homelessness problem that he sees in Metro Vancouver. “It’s going to make a difference to people I see on the SkyTrain, to people I see on the streets downtown… I see them on a daily basis. I contributed and helped them the best way I can.”

After tomorrow, the slightly-used jeans will go to teens in need at Covenant House. In exchange for the jeans, Aerpostale is giving those who donated a discount on clothing at their stores.

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