Sophomore Jordyn Yokoyama, aided by juniors Bhavika Bhagat and Cristina Farias, is collecting clothing donations for the Goodwill Drive that they began planning in early January.

The girls are holding the drive as part of their individual project required by their membership in National Honor Society, a nation-wide community service organization and one of the few clubs on campus to require students to apply to join.

“I decided to have a Goodwill Drive not only for my NHS personal project, but also as a way for me to help the people in need in my community, especially with the cold weather we have had,” said Yokoyama. “One time I went to L.A. with my friend and gave food and clothing to the homeless. I thought it would be really cool to give back to the organization that inspired me.”

To acknowledge those who contribute, the class period with the most donations will receive Rolling Pin Donuts while the student who individually gives the most according to the sign-up sheets will be awarded tickets to the Roxy Theater. “Students are allowed to donate to any class of their choice, so if they have a class they like in particular, they can help make extra sure that class wins,” said Yokoyama.

The committee also recently held bake sales in Oxnard during February to raise money to cover the cost of the prizes and supplies. In total, they sold $103 worth of chocolate chip cookies at the bake sale. “Our goal was to make enough money so we wouldn’t have to ask the NHS board for anything, since we know they are on a limited budget,” said Yokoyama.

They chose Goodwill to hold their fundraiser due to its successful track record in regards to past charity events. “Goodwill helped over 90 million people get jobs or start careers last year and we’re trying to help them reach that number again,” said Bhagat.

Yokoyama’s goal for the committee is to aid Goodwill in reaching its target number of people that get jobs this year. “If I could manage to collect around 300 articles of clothing and onward, that would be the best,” she said. “I would hope that out of the couple thousand students at the school, that number could be achieved.”

In order to publicize the Goodwill Drive, Yokoyama plans to have some people go door-to-door announcing the cause of the drive. The committee will be publicizing the event on Cam High Connect videos and in morning announcements, as well as putting collection bags in classrooms to make donating easier for students.

The Goodwill Drive will run throughout March. Students are welcome to donate a range of clothing from shirts and pants to socks; however, undergarments and damaged clothes will not be accepted.