The closet at Independence High is stocked with a variety of necessities to ease the burden on students and families in Wasco and was created in part by a $5,000 grant from Kern Family Health Care. Vianney Gonzalez, has worked as a counselor at Independence High School in Wasco for over eight years and noticed a need for a community closet early on in her tenure. She noted previously it was based on the kindness of her colleagues and community members to help out with cases that popped up sporadically, but now students and families will have access to a variety of necessities. Gonzalez said she hopes the project not only helps students in the immediate but helps them find long-lasting success, drawing on her own experience growing up in Kern County. While the closet is fully stocked as of early December, Gonzalez said the hope is that community members will take it upon themselves to help out by either donating at the Wasco Union High School District Office or at Independence High School.BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:Im Sam Hoyle, your Wasco Neighborhood reporter, on Tuesday Wasco Independence High School held a ribbon cutting for its new Falcon Closet, a project near and dear to the heart of one counselor here.The closet is open to students and families of Independence High School in need and was started by a $5,000 community grant from Kern Family Healthcare.Ms. Gonzalez applied for this wonderful project, and we loved it right off the bat because it helps our population, it helps our rural areas, said Daisy Torres, Member Engagement Supervisor, Kern Family Healthcare.According to Sandra Rosas, the closet: stocked with clothes, toiletries, and a variety of other necessities will be a huge benefit to everyone who needs it in the Wasco neighborhood.I think its really good that theyre helping out less fortunate kids, like some families are struggling right now and the fact that they have this? I think is really great, said Rosas.While many people helped put the closet together, many agree the driving force behind its existence and purpose, Vianney Gonzalez, a counselor at Independence High School.Its always been a need where kids don't have sweatshirts, that kind of our main thing, especially in the winter, where we see, Hey, arent you cold? said Gonzalez. We see that they get sick because they don't have access to that or they only have one and its dirty.However, for Gonzalez, the closet serves as a way to give back to a community experiencing what she did as a child growing up in Kern County.I come from a migrant background and so like... I've been in this situation. I where my parents, you know, luckily, there's assistance out there, but having to go through saying, hey, maybe we, you know, especially with the holidays, knowing we might not have gifts, but focusing on our basic needs," said Gonzalez, fighting tears."I still remember one time, getting socks for Christmas, we we were so happy. And I mean, our parents took care of us and everything, but there's times when financially families struggle, and I think right now, it's very clear that we do have a lot of our community struggling.And its a problem not solely in Wasco. Weve covered a variety of school programs like this most recently at Greenfield Union School District, and when talking about the Falcon Closet in Wasco, Gonzalez said she hopes that it not only helps students in the immediate but helps them find long-lasting success.We want to make sure that they're successful at school, we need to make sure that we're taking care of those basic needs. Whether it's, did they have something to eat? Did they get a good night's rest? Do they have, you know, clothes, a sweatshirt to get through the winter and things like that? So just it's gonna help them overall, and just being successful and hopefully being able to give back to their community eventually because somebody was there to help them out.In talking with Gonzalez, she did say that everything is stocked right now and they are greatly appreciative of the grant and they hope to continue this for over the next several years through the help of community grants. To learn how you can help, be sure to check out this story online.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube