Each year, DoSomething.org and Aeropostale stores pair up to put on the Teens for Jeans campaign. The campaign allows schools and individuals across the country to take part in raising awareness of the one million homeless youth in the United States. The campaign started when DoSomething.org asked homeless shelters what the most requested item was and the response was jeans.

This year, Kirby Madden-Hennessey, a member of Eastern Connecticut State University’s People Helping People (PHP) student club, brought the campaign to PHP as a possible volunteer opportunity. Madden-Hennessey had participated in this campaign in the past, and was hoping to have an even bigger impact on the lives of homeless youth in eastern Connecticut.

“I brought Teens for Jeans to PHP in hopes of collecting jeans for the homeless,” said Madden-Hennessey, “but for me it meant more than just a pair of jeans. It was about making a difference in someone’s life no matter who they are or what their circumstances may be. I think that sometimes we all need that extra push of knowing that there are people out there who care and want everyone to succeed, and I hope that’s what a pair of jeans will do. I would have never imagined in a million years that I, along with PHP, could have collected more than 800 pairs of jeans and I am ecstatic and thankful at how successful the campaign was!”

The club set up collection boxes in most of the dorms on campus and collected jeans at men’s and women’s varsity basketball games on campus. PHP also reached out to friends, family members and businesses such as Plato’s Closet to donate their gently used jeans. In all, 840 pairs of jeans for Teens for Jeans were collected by PHP. The jeans have been dropped off at the Aeropostale store in the Buckland Hills Mall and will be distributed to local homeless shelters this winter.