Family Focus: Myers Park teen gives back to young women through designer clothes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some local high school students are hoping people in Charlotte will open their hearts and their closets this holiday season.

A teen at Myers Park High School started a nonprofit selling designer clothing to help young women.

Audrey Huynh and her friends at the school are sorting clothes and figuring out price tags.

They plan to sell all of the items, which were donated to their nonprofit Clothes for Change.

"We wanted to give, especially women, the opportunity to be part of that exchange, and be getting something for making a difference in the community," Huynh said.

The idea of making a difference came to Huynh last summer when she read a book about oppression of women across the world.

It included issues such as sex slavery and poverty.

"This was something personal to us, because were young women feeling really fortunate that we had a voice in our community and that we could make a difference for these other girls, so reading about it, we knew we needed to do something," she said.

She said she realized how she could help when she saw how fortunate many of her classmates were, with many wearing new outfits every day.

"I saw them and I thought, 'Where are those clothes going? Because if they're not re-wearing them, then what are they doing with them?'" she said.

She began holding designer clothing drives.

"Everyone likes really quality clothes," Huynh said.

Then she and her friends organized the sales. Their last one brought in $3,500.

She said all of the proceeds go to organizations that empower women and she and her friends say that experience of helping others has empowered them as well.

"Not only that we could make such an incredible difference, but that we could also do it with our friends, and also, you know, grow closer together," said Abbey Cmiel, with Clothes For Change.

Huynh said the organization has recently donated to the Afghan Institute of Learning, Women's Global Empowerment Fund and the Charlotte-based anti-trafficking group All We Want is Love.

To learn more on how to help the organization, click here.

To directly contact the Clothes for Change group, you can email here: mpclothesforchange@gmail.com.

WSOC