For years, Illahee Middle School in the Federal Way school district has maintained a successful Christmas time program called Braves Helping Braves, which provides gently used clothing to more than 15 families annually.

Starting last summer, Maggie Pierce, a sixth grade science teacher at Illahee, along with a core group of teachers, students and parents, decided to expand the program and make it year-round.

“It’s been community helping community,” Pierce said.

On May 31, Pierce and the school’s Builder’s Club repurposed a portable classroom on the sprawling Illahee Middle School grounds into what is now called the Illahee Brave Cave Clothing Closet.

The Brave Cave had a grand opening last November and since has been open on Wednesdays from 2:30-4 p.m. to families served by the school district in need of clothing and toiletry items.

Victoria Furniss, 13, is a member of the Builder’s Club and remembers on May 31 bringing in the donations of clean clothes to the Brave Cave and installing the donated furniture.

“I enjoy that people who don’t have the value of clothes to wear can come here and get clothes,” Furniss said.

She appreciates the value of the Brave Cave on a personal level.

“I was one of those people this year,” she said. “I broke a shoe and I was able to come down here and I was provided shoes.”

Two brothers, Gavino Duenas, 13, and Hernan Duenas, 11, are members of the Builder’s Club. The two boys moved in furniture and helped paint the interior and exterior walls.

“I like to volunteer, because I’m a caring person,” Gavino said.

Pierce said there are many businesses, organizations and individuals to thank for the quick mobilization of the Brave Cave.

Among them, she thanks local laundromat Lighthouse II for allowing her to wash 41 loads of donated clothing free of charge; Lowe’s for a monetary donation toward new paint on the interior of the room; the Todd Beamer High School Dance Team’s donation of clothing from their rummage sale; the support of the Noon Kiwanis’ Builder’s Club; JK Construction’s donation of stainless steel racks to hang clothing; and the PTSA’s supply of volunteers to man the Brave Cave.

Something unexpected from this new service opportunity was an educational component for Val Patterson’s Functional Core special education class.

This school year Patterson has 10 students in her class who learn important life skills. Pierce suggested that Patterson’s students could help in the folding, counting and organizing of donated clothing coming in.

Patterson jumped at the opportunity. Clothes that are donated at the front office to the Brave Cave are brought by Patterson’s students to a portable adjacent to the Brave Cave for counting, organizing and folding. When something is in short supply at the Brave Cave, Patterson’s students restock. These basic retail skills retained by Patterson’s students can be applied to future employment in the retail industry.

Pierce said donated clothes either to the office or at the Brave Cave between 2:30-4 p.m. on Wednesdays should come washed and gently used. Toiletries are also accepted. Her goal is to allow families served by Federal Way Public Schools to come to the Brave Cave up to four times a year. Each family member can select up to 15 items per trip, Pierce said.

Family members are not required to show identification to qualify.

If You Go

Illahee Middle School is located at 36001 1st Ave. S. in Federal Way. For more information about the Brave Cave, call the school at 253-945-4600.

Victoria Furniss, left, Gavino Duenas and younger brother Hernan were part of the Builder’s Club that helped to paint and furnish the interior of the Brave Cave. andrew fickes, For the Mirror