MAKING A DIFFERENCE … Wauson Middle School Student Breah Teal raised funds to donate a fully stocked personal care “closet” located in the WMS guidance counselor’s office.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
14-year-old Breah Teal has found a way to use her creativity and talents to make a positive impact on the lives of other girls at Wauseon Middle and Elementary Schools.
Recognizing a need among her friends, Breah noticed that many girls lacked access to essential personal care and hygiene products during school hours.
In response, the teen came up with an idea to create a space within the school known as “Breah’s Closet,” a place for middle and elementary school girls to discretely obtain personal care items when such a need arises.
The emergency personal care station of sorts is centrally located between the middle and elementary school buildings at the guidance counselor’s office.
There, girls can find hair products, hair ties, q-tips, lotion, deodorant, and other feminine hygiene products, offering a resource in case they leave home without these essential items.
Breah plans to continue to monitor the inventory of the Closet with the help of her guidance counselor providing feedback and letting her know when items are running low.
Breah’s peers and cheer coach have expressed their gratitude, acknowledging the welcomed support Breah has brought to the school.
Despite her busy schedule, with softball, volleyball, cheerleading, band, weekday church, and 4-H, Breah makes the time to make a difference.
To raise money to purchase the essentials that are stocked in the Closet, she bakes homemade cinnamon rolls.
Her mother, Laura Teal, shared that the idea was entirely Breah’s. While the teen takes care of all of the kitchen duties associated with baking the cinnamon rolls, she does enlist her mother’s help when it comes to reaching out on Facebook to promote the sweet treats.
Breah learned the art of baking cinnamon rolls through trial and error, experimenting with different recipes, including variations like pecan rolls and apple cinnamon rolls.
Earlier this year, the teen began selling the sweets to offset her travel softball fees. However, once the athletic costs were covered, Breah wanted to continue baking and redirect the funds raised in a way that would help her peers.
On her daughter’s commitment to helping out her classmates, Laura Teal shares, “This was all her doing. This was her idea … I am very proud of her. She stays very active. She is very determined, and she does have a really big heart.”
Creating another avenue to keep the Closet full of necessities, the teen has also set up an Amazon Wish List to allow others to purchase essentials for Breah’s Closet.
To contribute, find the Breah’s Closet Amazon Wish List here: http://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2CZ0R59LGS2DU?ref_=wl_share.
Breah’s Closet serves as an example of the positive impact that a single young person can have when guided by empathy and a commitment to support others in their community.