TEMPLE, Texas — Temple Independent School District has opened Thrifty Wildcats, a community thrift shop designed to support students transitioning into the workforce while providing affordable items for residents.
Located at 300 S 27th St, Thrifty Wildcats invites shoppers to fill a bag with donated items—ranging from clothing and shoes to housewares—for just $5.
The thrift shop is not just a place to shop but a component of the Wildcat Tech Vocational Program. This program focuses on helping students who have graduated but are still navigating the transition into employment. These students play an active role in the shop, gaining experience by helping set it up, organizing items and pricing merchandise.
Becky Olson, the Transition Coordinator for Temple ISD, shared her enthusiasm for the project.
“Those are students transitioning into the workplace and have vocational opportunities, and so they come, they help set it up, they organize, they set prices and we decided we have so many items that we wanted to do a fill-a-bag sale to help the community be able to afford some things as well,” Olson said.
The opening of Thrifty Wildcats marks a step for the vocational program, with plans to host additional sales. Olson encourages the community to show support by visiting the shop and considering donating gently used items.
For those interested in contributing or learning more about the program, Temple High School’s Assessment Office is available for inquiries on donations.
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