WAITSBURG – Late last January, the Waitsburg High School student body "overwhelmingly approved" the addition of FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) to the school's club and organization offerings. The first big FFCLA event is a Jeans for Teens Drive that kicked off this week.

Club Leader Nancy Bickelhaupt says FFCLA is to Family and Consumer Science what FFA is to agriculture. The national Career and Technical Education organization promotes personal growth through leadership development and career preparation opportunities.

The organization was founded in 1945 and now has over 200,000 members in 50 states, plus the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The organization's motto is "Toward New Horizons!"

Bickelhaupt says the group has been meeting regularly and has taken responsibility for small projects, such as serving at retiring school board member Greg Zuger's farewell party. The Jeans for Teens drive will be the group's first big undertaking.

FCCLA President Selina Mercado said the group was excited about the project for several reasons.

"I think it's a good way to help teens understand that others are in need of things we take for granted and can use things that we don't really use anymore. It's also a good way to get the community involved in helping others," she said.

Bickelhaupt found the Jeans for Teens program on http://www.dosomething.org and thought it would be a program that teens could relate to. Through the program, gently-used jeans in all sizes and styles are collected in boxes and donated to teens that are homeless or living in shelters.

"Jeans are a comfort item for kids and something that makes them feel normal. We felt this project is something that their peers could get into," Bickelhaupt said. "Most of the kids have jeans they've gotten too tall for, they don't like the style anymore, or they just don't wear," she added.

FCCLA members have been busy making posters to promote the drive and will have boxes at all home basketball games for community members to drop off their gently-used jeans. Jeans may also be left at the high school office during school hours. The drive will run through Feb. 29.