13-year-old creates school closet so his classmates will have nice clothes to wear
An eighth-grader with a big heart is making sure his peers will never go without clothes on their backs.
Chase Neyland-Square, a student at Port Allen Middle School in Port Allen, Louisiana, helps run "PAMs pantry" -- a closet filled with clothes, hygiene products, shoes and more for kids in need.
"My favorite part about helping with the pantry is getting types of clothes and sorting them out to give to various people," Chase told "Good Morning America." "It makes me feel good because I know that I can make a difference in my school."
Principal Jessica Major said the pantry idea was born from students pitching ideas about how they can help others at their school. At Port Allen, many students come from low-income households.
Major said there are students who don't have things like a nice outfit to wear at eighth grade graduation.
"We really want the kids to feel like they have somewhere to go when they need something," Major told "GMA." "We only have 215 kids so we're able to get to know them really well...and try to help them where we can."
Chase helped staff assemble the pantry and from there, local donations from jackets, shoes, school supplies and even football cleats came pouring in.
Major said Chase organizes the items in the pantry while she and her secretary discreetly distribute what's needed.
Chase's mom, Amanda Square, said her son has also given back to his community by hosting dinners for senior citizens, and even donated 700 pairs of socks for the homeless once.
"He seems to have a great passion for people," Square told "GMA." "It makes me proud because we're very blessed and I always encourage him to bless others."
Chase said he'd like to see more shoes added to the closet.
"I have a heart for giving," he said.
