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Students in need of clothing can look no further than the Ram Closet located at Fresno City College. Clothing will become available in mid-April at pop-up events throughout the semester.
The pop-up events would look like other booths on campus. There will be a reserved space with a rack with clothes where students and staff can grab as needed.
This collaborative project is being spearheaded by Jack Howard, FCC chapter president of Phi Theta Kappa, Associated Student Government senator Arianna Carbajal, and Ernie Garcia who is the senior program specialist here at FCC.
Phi Theta Kappa is a club based out of the Leon S. Peters Honors program with amenities, scholarships and assistance with transferring and finding a job, according to Howard. He brought back the program after it had “died down” from COVID.
This has been an ongoing project since last semester, according to Howard. Howard’s main goal is to “address the basic needs of students on campus, which are often overlooked or neglected for a variety of reasons.”
Garcia has been helping the students when they encounter obstacles.
“I think the most help I provided was being able to take care of campus paperwork and communication, as well as provide some historical context of past efforts,” Garcia said.
Howard saw that there was an essential need to bring back the Ram Closet.
“We recognize that, you know, student leaders need to stand up to address those needs. Whether it be through clubs or individuals, like Phi Theta Kappa, we’re stepping up to the natural responsibility,” Howard said.
Garcia was contracted by Howard and Carbajal in early January.
“I am grateful to the students pushing for this project. I hope it’s something we can sustain permanently,” Garcia said.
People interested in donating gently-used clothing or shoes are encouraged to reach out to Ernie Garcia at [email protected] to arrange an office pickup or stop by the Ram Pantry to drop off donations.
“I’ll definitely be donating my inputs. If you’re a student who wants to donate, it’ll go to a good cause: your peers, your fellow students and those in need,” Howard said. “It’s going to make Fresno City College a better place.”
