Boutique provides back-to-school clothes for girls

Charis Ubben
cubben@hastingstribune.com
Starting today, a group of Gibbon girls will spend two weeks collecting clothing in Hastings and throughout the Tri-cities area, to provide free back-to-school shopping for girls who need it.
Girls Reaching Out (G.R.O.) is a group of middle and high school girls led by Candi Benge of Gibbon, who say they are trying to “impact our world in a positive way, while we explore all its possibilities.”
G.R.O. began The Boutique this fall in the Gibbon Community Center and has already served 13 girls from the Gibbon and Kearney areas. Girls shop from donated items, which include used and new clothing, backpacks, shoes and more, as well as new toiletry items and school supplies.
Benge said they have had no problem with girls trying to take too many of the free items but, instead, girls have been afraid to take any.
The boutique is located in the Gibbon/Shelton Community Center in Gibbon, 817 Front St. It will be open through Sept. 30.
Drop-Off sites in Tribland are:
–Hastings: Allen’s customer service
–Minden: Hissy Fit
–Roseland: The Station
–Holstein: The Cow-town
New items that are especially needed right now include socks, underwear and toiletries, including travel-sized toiletries for gym class.
New or used items could include:
–Pants
–Jackets
–Backpacks & gym bags
–Athletic gear
–Tops and tank top/undershirts
–Shoes
–Hoody sweatshirts
–Dresses for school dances
–Belts, jewelry, purses and other accessories
–Hair straighteners, curling irons, hair-styling products
–Calculators, pencil cases, pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, binders
Girls from any town in the Tri-city area are welcome to shop at the Boutique. Call Benge at 308-216-1192 or e-mail dcbenge@yahoo.com for more information.