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LAUREL – Luke Erwin plays football, basketball, and golf, all those sports require gear from balls to clubs, uniforms, helmets, shoes, and more.
Ashley Jelinek understands that all that gear requires space - something in short supply at the Logan Creek Thrift Store.
Or at least it was in short supply until Erwin stepped up to the plate and contributed to his community.
“We had the sports gear everywhere some in the kids’ room and really wherever we could fit in in,” said Jelinek, board president of the thrift store.
Erwin applied for and received $400 from the Contribution Project to buy a new six-foot-tall shelving unit which now holds and displays baseball gloves, football helmets, shoes, golfing and tennis equipment, even snorkeling gear and flippers.
“We are so grateful he chose us. It’s so nice to have the community behind us,” Jelinek said.
The Contribution Project is funded through Purpose Commons and PSiX at Cornell University. The organization accepts applications from young people, ages 14-25, who are seeking to make an impact on their community, school, or neighborhood.
Erwin, son of Josh and Carol, heard about The Contribution Project from his mother. Another Laurel-Concord Coleridge student successfully received Contribution Project funds to start a little library in town.
Using the money to support Logan Creek Thrift store was a natural fit as the store is run by volunteers with all proceeds going back into the community – either to individuals in need, or charitable causes, Erwin said.
The application process involved filling out a survey detailing how he would use the money and answering questions about his character. It took two weeks from the time he submitted the application until he heard it was approved.
Once the money was received, he quickly got to work, contacting Jelinek and getting the shelving ordered. Erwin assembled it and the store started using the shelving to display gently used sports gear last week.
While Erwin, a sophomore at LCC, hit an easy homerun with his latest community service project, he’s previously contributed in other ways, painting at the city park and helping with recreational sports.
“Supporting the community is important to me because I always love giving a helping hand to people,” he said. “Especially since we have a smaller community, there is a lot of opportunities to help someone out. I encourage other students to do this project because it is a great way to give back to the community, especially for no cost besides your time.”
Sandra Cross | for the Laurel Advocate
