One Carson High senior is trying to help underprivileged kids one pair of socks at a time.
It all started for Dagen Kipling when he heard about a student at Fritsch Elementary who was part of the McKinney-Vento Students in Transition program. The girl had received a pair of shoes from a fundraiser through the program, but she didn’t own a pair of socks to wear with the shoes. So, Kipling decided to do something about it, and as a part of his senior project decided to start a fundraising drive to collect socks, underwear and toiletries for students in the McKinney-Vento program, an organization that helps students who may be in transitional housing.
“I just thought that I could help,” Kipling said. “These kids don’t have a lot of things and I think this fundraiser could help with educating people to see that not everyone can always go home and shower and have all of these essentials that we take for granted.”
Kipling said because this little girl, as well as his own sister, attend Fritsch he had originally wanted to make just that school the focus of his project, but once he talked with school administrators, they all decided it would be better to expand the fundraiser to all schools in Carson City. His goal is to be able to raise essential items such as socks and underwear, and toiletries such as shaving cream, deodorant and nail clippers and put them into care packages for the students to take home for the holidays.
“Before I started this, I didn’t even really know about these kids (who are in the McKinney-Vento program) and you don’t really think about other kids you kind of think that others are along the same lines as you,” Kipling said. “I am hoping that this fundraiser is going to explode because there are kids who may not need these items right now, but they will once the winter comes.”
His goal is to serve students of all ages, from kindergarten to 12th grade. Kipling has held his fundraiser for about a week, and he said the community support has been incredible. He has set up drop boxes at businesses around town for people to put donated items into.
“The community is really getting involved and the response is great,” Kipling said.
There are drop boxes at Carson High School, A Pawsitive Image at 559 Saliman Road, Business and Industry Real Estate Division, 1818 College Parkway, Fritsch Elementary, the Department of Motor Vehicles and Lakeridge Tennis Club.
Anyone wishing to donate can also send in cash or check donations to P.O. Box 3274 to the McKinney-Vento Students in Transition.
“I am excited about this and this program has opened my eyes to kids who’s school may be their safe place,” Kipling said. “These items may help them feel more normal just having these.”
The fundraiser goes until Nov. 20.