In the time of year when many students are focused on finals, sports, and break just around the corner, one student has turned their attention toward something bigger. The idea began as a quiet thought, but it quickly grew into a school wide coat drive across Manhattan High School. The student behind the project is senior Raegan Stous.
“Getting to be in a 6A school district, we have a variety of different students from different backgrounds. My dad is a principal and he tells us about the students who have their needs met versus students who don’t,” Stous said. “This made me think about how fortunate we are as a family so I talked to my dad and told him I wanted to give back and with the holidays coming up and it getting colder my first thought was coats.”
Stous loves the holiday season but also understands how around this time of year families tend to struggle. Stous felt that MHS was the perfect place to ask to help our local community.
“Coats for community started because of my passion for helping people and my love for Jesus,” Stous said. “This is meaningful to me because going into freshman year the school was so kind and supportive to me and my family when my mom died. While we didn’t get coats or those items that we didn’t need, we got the warm support from the teachers and staff, and I wanted to give that same support to other students.”
Turning an idea into a functioning project took planning and preparation. Stous began by looking at the basics: where donations would be collected and how she would get them to those who need them. Reaching out to school administrators, she laid out a vision that emphasized clarity, purpose, and community impact. Once they approved Stous’s project, her next step was piquing interest among students and staff. Posters were created and announcements were shared.
“The most rewarding part has been knowing it’s going to be so fruitful,” Stous said. “I know that the reward is so much better than right now because it’s been stressful planning and I can look forward with confidence knowing that this is far greater than me.”
As a senior graduating in May, Stous hopes that future classes will continue the coat drive.
“I haven’t thought much about how I would continue this on, this is something that is very interchangeable,” Stous said. “The winter season is coats, but when summer comes it could be sandals and shorts. I think if I am to continue this next year at K-State I can get involved in clubs and bring this drive with me there. I want to focus on the here and the now. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. I hope to stay in contact with Jenna at the Fit Closet and continue to help with years to come.”
Whether through future events or everyday acts of kindness, Stous aims to keep encouraging peers to look beyond themselves and notice the needs of those around them.
“The legacy I want to leave at the school is a verse my youth pastor has preached to us. 1 Timothy 4:12 — ‘don’t let anyone look down on you because you’re young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.’ I want to encourage other students to take the step to advocate for their community and give,” Stous said. “We can do hard things because we are a generation who can overcome the hard.”
