Seaholm High School student creates nonprofit to help people in need of clothing
A high school senior from Birmingham is making a significant impact in her community by helping others feel confident through her nonprofit organization.
Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report: Seaholm High School student creates nonprofit to help people in need of clothingTessa Shane, a senior at Seaholm High School, founded The Donation Closet after stepping away from sports. Her journey began when she got involved with the New Jersey-based organization Hoodies for the Homeless in 2024.

"I started a Michigan chapter for that, and I was getting a lot of donations coming to my house, so I decided I needed a place to put everything," Shane said.

That place became the basement of her family's home.

"Figured nobody was really using it, and why not take the couch out and all the furniture, and buy some racks, and let's make use of this," said Jennifer Shane, Tessa's mother.

The growth Shane saw with Hoodies for Homeless inspired her to create The Donation Closet in the summer of last year, where she coordinates clothing donation drives for people in need.
"People can drop donations off at my house, or they'll drop it off at my high school," Shane said. "I'll go to my basement, and I'll sort everything, and then I have different racks from like kids, women's, men's, and then like the different sizes."

Since starting her nonprofit, Shane has collected around 10,000 garments, which she delivers to organizations around Metro Detroit for distribution. On Wednesday, she delivered donations to the Michigan Foster Care Closet in Ann Arbor, where children in foster care can shop for free.
"This is a place where they belong, and they come in our doors, and they know that. And they get to choose anything they want, and they don't worry about price, and they get to find their favorite characters," said Lynda Cooney, a board member at Michigan Foster Care Closet.

The organization serves between 120 and 150 youth each month, highlighting the critical need for donations.
"When people like Tessa come in and drop off large donations, it allows us to do what we do," Cooney said.
The Donation Closet has helped around 18 other nonprofits and even families impacted by the LA wildfires. Shane hopes her work encourages others to give back to their communities.

"It fills. me up with happiness that I'm able to help other people," Shane said. "I just think that everyone should do something and help the community."
When she goes off to college, Shane plans to create another chapter of The Donation Closet in that area.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.















