As the leaves begin to fall and the temperature begins to drop, everyone needs warm clothes, and South organization Titans Helping Titans (THT) is here for that, Mark Maranto, Assistant Principal of Student Activities, said. The goal of THT is to provide students with items they need, especially if they’re unable to afford it on their own, Maranto explained.
The program began in 2017 when Cheryl Simon, Science Teacher and Co-Founder of THT, noticed that some of her students were missing necessary items like coats and jackets to get them through the winter, Simon said. The organization takes charge of several donation-based programs throughout the year, like the Homecoming outfit drive in the fall, which takes old suits and dresses donated by students and re-sells them for a discounted price, Simon said.
“After overhearing comments [from] my students saying they were hungry in my fourth block class, I became more aware [that] not every student comes to school under the same conditions, with the same resources, and that broke my heart,” Simon said.
The THT team is not just limited to South’s staff, but extends to a whole community of families outside of school as well, each playing a big role in donating school supplies and clothing, ranging from winter attire, swimsuits, or formal clothing, Simon said.
“We would not be a program without the generous support from the families and the community with their donations and contributions to Titans Helping Titans,” Simon said.
In addition to local families, some other contributors to the program include similar outside organizations such as the Making Lives Better Association and the Village of Glenview, Maranto said. Making Lives Better, a non-profit organization with a national reach, also sponsors the THT Backpack Program which helps students provide school supplies to students with financial restraints.
While THT is adult-led, there are many opportunities for student involvement, Maranto said. Student volunteers work on other activities that respect student confidentiality, Maranto added.
“We order backpacks and then we stuff them full, so [if a] student comes, we say, ‘Here’s everything you need to get your school year rolling,” Maranto said.
THT runs the Winter Clothing Drive as well, donating warm clothing to students, Executive Assistant Christina Basilios said. The drive starts between Oct. 26 and 27 since October is a chilly month, Basilios said.
“We also purchase items from Kohl’s and Target, such as coats, scarves, gloves, socks, to give out in [the] winter clothing drive,” Maranto said.
