they selected their favorite pieces for the fashion show and took the rest to HOME

For three Blanchet Catholic School juniors who set out to complete a community service project, one thing just led to another.

The result was on display Sunday at Mission Mill Museum, where electronica surged through speakers, regional designers flaunted high-fashion creations and models strutted down a runway.

Youth Junk 2 Fashion Funk was billed as a homeless youth awareness and fashion event, with all ticket and prize drawing proceeds going to HOME Youth and Resource Center for local at-risk and homeless youths.

Blanchet students Daniell Tea-Pelley, Lauren Eliason and Sarah Darst organized the show as part of a Distributive Education Clubs of America business project.

The youth organization is for students interested in business, marketing and management.

The teens chose a project category — community service — and put a plan into action.

Eliason, who designs clothing, had the idea to incorporate the fashion aspect.

They decided to organize a clothing drive, use the donated items as fashion show outfits, then give the clothes to a local organization.

They spoke with Patty Kahan, HOME's program director, about their idea.

"She made us feel at home," Eliason said. "We felt it was a place we'd want to be if we were homeless."

Starting with Blanchet, the teens asked for used clothing.

Out of the donations, they selected their favorite pieces for the fashion show and took the rest to HOME. The items used in the show also were donated after the event.

Kahan said HOME's day shelter sees about 220 youths each month, many of whom are seeking food and clothing.

The girls enlisted the help of Carrie Beth Langham, a part-time instructor and independent designer at the Art Institute of Portland.

Langham recruited designers from the institute and from Oregon State University.

The teens also asked local businesses for help with refreshments and printing posters and fliers.

They advertised for models on Facebook and were met with enthusiastic responses from students across Salem.

Every time they asked, people stepped up to help.

"I don't remember anyone ever saying no," Darst said.

On Sunday, after months of hard work, it all came together.

"They are just so impressive, they're motivated, talented, self-directed, energetic, enthusiastic," Kahan said. "They're just impressive young women."

The show featured two segments and more than 30 models, who rocked used clothing during the first segment and the designer duds the second.

Although the teens admitted organizing the show has been stressful at times, they said it helped to step back and remember who it was for.

"This isn't about us or the fashion show, it's about HOME," Tea-Pelley said. "The whole thing."