MEDORA — On Wednesdays during lunch, Medora Junior-Senior High School kids can go shopping.

No, they aren’t leaving school to go check out the latest fashions at a store.

They are walking into Hannah Martin’s agriculture classroom and browsing the shelves, racks and cabinets in a storage area that was converted into Hornets Care Closet.

Anything in that space is up for grabs. There are no limits. There are no questions asked. If you need it or want it, take it.

Over Christmas break, science teacher Leah Young began collecting clothing from people willing to donate to students at the school. Last school year, she started collecting dresses for girls at the school to wear to prom and homecoming, and that went over really well, so she thought it was time to expand the offerings.

“Any time I have extra clothes, I always just bring them in. I usually just have a tote in my room of stuff that kids can just go through whenever they want,” Young said. “Then Mrs. Martin had the idea to have a clothing closet in this little storage area that she has.”

Martin has a large classroom with several storage spaces. Plus, the ag department has a garage for more storage.

“It really wasn’t being used,” she said of the storage space that now houses Hornets Care Closet. “I wanted space where kids can have professional clothing available to them, like job interviews, understanding what outfit to wear if you’re going out to lunch with your boss, what outfit to wear if you’re going out with a group of your friends, and having all of that available.”

Young also is teaching a community service class, so those students came up with the name of the clothing closet and designed a logo.

They also are helping with sorting, folding and organizing donations. There already was a large wooden shelf in the storage space, and a cabinet and a clothing rack were added.

“I like giving back to the community in a way,” senior Carolyn Sparks said.

“It just feels nice to be nice and generous,” junior Gabe Roberson said.

Both students and both teachers said they have even picked out clothes from the closet.

“It’s not just for kids who need it. It’s for anybody who wants it. We encourage everybody to go in there,” Young said. “If your mom needs a jacket or your mom might like something in there, then take it for anybody in your family or your brothers or sisters or whatever. It’s just nice to have something where they don’t have to depend on anybody else to take them somewhere to get something they need.”

Martin said some students have come there if they spilled something on their clothes, while Young said others have gone there after sweating in gym class.

“Throughout the day, there are a lot of reasons that you just don’t think of where kids come in and grab stuff,” Martin said.

It has reached the point where students enjoy shopping in the clothing closet.

“They love it. We get some really good stuff. We get really good name-brand stuff, new stuff, the dresses especially,” Young said.

“There’s a lot of it that still has the tags on it,” Sparks said.

“I have girls that keep recycling their dresses for homecoming,” Martin said. “I’ll get another haul of dresses, and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, I like that one,’ and then they’ll bring back theirs and swap it out, so they have fun with it.”

Young said they accept any type of clothing as long as it’s school-appropriate. Donations may be dropped off at the school.

“We’ve got everything from socks and hats and scarves to prom dresses and jackets and snow boots,” she said.

Martin has a washer and dryer unit in her classroom, so clothes are tossed in there before they are put in the closet.

Clothing for elementary-age students is accepted, too. Young said if she gets those items, she gives them to one of the teachers to store in their classroom for kids who need them.

Along with clothing, donations of laundry detergent, softener and hangers are accepted.

“We’re also trying to get a little bit of hygiene items and little packs of detergent and items used to do laundry to send home with kids and maybe even teach them how to do their own laundry,” Young said.

“Really, we’re teaching them life skills,” Sparks added.

Open since the beginning of the year, Hornets Care Closet continues to make an impact on Medora students.

“A lot of kids just don’t have time or access to go get all of this stuff, so it’s nice to have it where they don’t have to even worry about walking downtown to get it,” Young said. “Then I’m hoping on our back-to-school night, usually, Hornet’s Nest opens up during that time, so we could open this up. This could be part of that United Way back-to-school night next year.”

Martin said she also would like to do a fashion show with the clothing in the closet.

“Like what to wear, what not to wear kind of scenario,” she said. “I have a few kids very excited about it. The first 10 minutes when they play in there, it’s what they can put together.”