El Camino College offers a large amount of resources to students throughout the semester. However, the average student does not actually know about these services. I didn’t know that ECC offered a diverse range of services, such as therapy sessions and even healthcare, until my second year here.

There are free services, like the Warrior Pantry, that help students who don’t have the financial means for essentials, such as food and water.

There is also a pop-up shop called the Warrior Closet, which gives students in need clothes and shoes. However, because the closet is a pop-up shop, it doesn’t have a stationed place at ECC.

ECC should make the Warrior Closet permanent, just like the Warrior Pantry. Warrior Pantry is open throughout the semester, but the Warrior Closet is only a pop-up shop with no established time or date for returning.

The Warrior Pantry is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The pantry is open weekly throughout the semester, so why can’t ECC have the Warrior Closet do the same?

The Warrior Closet has been present during the Harvest Festival of the 2019 fall semester, where students who needed clothing were able to obtain them. Instead of having this as a temporary event, ECC should have it as an official place on campus, like Warrior Pantry.

There might be students going to ECC that are in need of clothes, but are not able to afford them because of things like their budget, cost of transportation, or even their availability to buy clothes.

In order for the closet to stay functioning, students, faculty, and members of the local community could start donating their unneeded clothes to the Warrior Closet. It would help them get rid of clothes that aren’t in use anymore, and it would give those students a chance to acquire clothing essentials that they’re in need of.

Getting a sponsor from donation organizations, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, would also keep the Warrior Closet open with clothes for students.

The pantry and closet would go hand in hand for students who need extra help when it comes to getting essentials like food and clothing. It would benefit students in need, along with ECC being able to have more student services to provide.

If you are a student who is interested in the Warrior Pantry, it is located in the Physics Building in Room 116. You need to submit a pantry registration form beforehand. As long as you are enrolled in ECC and have a current ID, you can use these services.

Warrior Closet should become a staple for ECC. It would benefit students who need help getting free clothing on campus, especially for those who don’t have transportation options to go elsewhere for clothes.