IRON COUNTY, Utah — The Iron County School District is trying to make things a little easier for students in need.
"A lot of students are just trying to surround themselves in a good environment and sometimes students don't really have that control at the end of the day," Ereland Hunsaker, the Cedar High School Senior Class President, said. She added it's especially hard for students from lower-income families.
The school district marked the opening of a teen center on Wednesday. Tim Marriott, the district's Counseling Coordinator, explains that the center will provide a "safe place" for students to come and access essential resources. "Wash their clothes, get something to eat. You saw in our pantry, it was just full of snacks."
The cash-strapped district is relying on state funds to operate the center, which includes a well-stocked pantry, a clothes washer, and even a shower - all available free of charge to students.
Mia Hatch, the Cedar High School Student Body President, says she knows several students at her school who could really benefit from the new teen center.
"I think that it takes a lot of vulnerability for people to open up that they need this kind of help, but I think that having it available will be so awesome,” she said.
The Iron County School District estimates that more than 350 students in the county start the school day without access to basic necessities like food, hygiene, and one-on-one support.
"That can cause students to you know be fearful to come to school if they don't have those basic needs met,” Mariott said. “So I just think that by providing these awesome essential things that every student should have access to, will just be so much better for students in our district."
Hatch believes the teen center can show struggling students that they have value and worth, even if they don't have everything.
"Everyone's just trying their best," she says.
