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Since sophomore year, Miami Palmetto High School junior Emily Rubin has been collecting business casual clothing for her community service project called Open Closet. She donates the clothes to homeless shelters and women’s shelters such as Camillus House, Lotus House, and the Caring Place.
She promotes Open Closet on Instagram and has donation bins at the gym she attends, at Palmetto High School, Palmetto Middle School, the Palmetto Bay Municipal Center, and the Pinecrest Municipal Center.
“I’ve donated thousands of clothes,” she says. “Suits, ties, blouses, shoes and purses.
Anything to help people who don’t have access and can’t always afford these clothes. They should be able to dress nicely too.”
She started Open Closet because she wanted to give back to the community.
“I thought about the fact that people in these shelters don’t have access to clothes like suits, dresses and blouses,” Rubin says. “I thought going to people in the community would help. If they are going to an interview in something appropriate and nice, it helps make them even more confident.”
When she picks up the items, she sorts them and then washes them. Once clean, she folds them into separate bags. Rubin even irons some items.
“I separate them by female and male to make it easier for the people at the shelters to go through them,” she says.
After talking to someone at the Lotus House, she expanded the scope of her project, calling the new project Open Space.
“I collect furniture items and things for households,” she says. “They still need access to decorate their homes.”
The Palmetto Bay Village Council has recognized Rubin’s efforts, and she recently spoke at Pinecrest Village Hall about her project.
At Palmetto, she’s a member of the Health Information Project.
“It’s a peer-to-peer model, empowering teens,” she says. “I experienced HIP at Palmetto. I think it’s important that kids have the foundation on these topics.”
She is also the Real Life Editor of the Palm Echo, the school’s yearbook. She loves working on the yearbook because it allows her to be creative.
“I love the design aspect,” she says.
In fact, she likes design so much she uses her skills as a member of the Student Council’s Marketing Board.
“I get to design and I make social media posts,” she says. “I deliver news that has value to the students at Palmetto.”
Sports are also part of her high school career. She’s been on the varsity lacrosse team since her freshman year.
“I really like the sport and to work with the team,” she says. “We won districts my freshman year.”
She’s been playing club lacrosse since sixth grade but this year, she’s only playing on the school team.
Rubin is vice president of the National English Honor Society and vice president for publicity for the National Honor Society.
This year the English Honor Society is conducting a book drive that will go into Little Free Libraries being installed by the Palmetto Bay Youth Community Task Force (which Rubin is also a member of) in Coral Reef Park and Palmetto Park.
“We also made Buddy Benches that are also at the parks,” she says.
She also participates in the Holocaust Impact Theater.
“It’s for students to explore historical events and connect them to today’s social injustices,” she says. “It deepens understanding and tolerance.”
Her role in Holocaust Impact Theater includes creating art for the program and flyers.
“This year it’s called Remnants,” she says. “A part of it includes the Warsaw Ghetto and they are making time capsules.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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