By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – In late August, Girl Scout and Thompson High School student Leah Warman began cleaning out a barren, unused utility closet near the school’s front office. Today, the room looks nothing like it did only a few months ago.

“I finished setting everything up about two weeks ago,” Warman said on Nov. 24 as she stood in the new “Tomahawk Shop” filled to the brim with neatly organized bins of clothing, shoes school supplies and more.

Over the last few months, Warman, who is a member of the Alabaster-based Girl Scout Troop 993 and the daughter of THS Assistant Principal Drew Warman, has been collecting donations from her classmates, local churches and members of the community to stock the Tomahawk Shop.

The idea for the shop came about as Warman began working on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn.

After working for weeks to stock and organize the shop, Warman is now preparing to open the shop during the first week of December.

Once the shop is set up, students in need will be able to visit one of the school’s counselors, who will allow the students to access the Tomahawk Shop to obtain essentials such as pens and pencils, paper, shoes and clothing. Once a student visits the Tomahawk Shop, the counselor will update the shop’s inventory listing. Students who need to visit the shop will be able to do so discreetly.

After spreading the word about the shop at the beginning of the school year, Warman said she saw a flood of support from the community.

“The majority of the donations came from the community. I would say it was more than 100 people (who donated),” Warman said. “I also had some support from people here at the school.”

Now, Warman is making plans to advertise the Tomahawk Shop’s opening to allow THS students to utilize it.

“Hopefully, I will get to announce it on the (THS) News or on the intercom when it opens. I need to advertise it as much as possible so students will know about it,” Warman said. “This is proof that if you give to the community, the community gives back.”