Sara Asher
"I came here to be a stronger person," says 17-year-old North Eugene senior Sara Asher, who joined a girls' support group at Ophelia's Place in October of 2006 and later became OP's first teen volunteer. "Once I felt I didn't need a support group, I wanted to give back." A drop-in center for girls ages 10-18, Ophelia's Place branched off from Womenspace in 2005 as a separate non-profit. When Asher's family moved to a new home last year, she took note of the excess clothing in her closet, purged most of it, and hatched the idea for the Feel-Good Closet. "I enjoy wearing fashionable clothing," she observes. "Other girls would like it too." She sent an email to fellow students and got on the phone to local businesses, asking for donations. With materials donated by Jerry's, Asher's boyfriend Skyler Shull built the actual closet-on-wheels in the school woodshop. After a ceremonial opening on June 16, the Feel-Good Closet will be stocked with quality cothing, available free to OP members. To make donations or learn about Ophelia's Place programs and activities, visit opheliasplace.net.
happening people
photograph and story by Paul Neevel
Eugene Weekly / 12 June 2008
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