For students at Karns High School, supporting the community and sustainability doesn’t have to mean making dramatic lifestyle changes. Sometimes, it begins with the places students already love, local shops, cafes, and secondhand stores that make up the fabric of the community. Choosing small businesses close to home can be one of the easiest and most meaningful ways to live greener as a high school student.
Small Bites, Big difference:
Food and drinks are some of the easiest ways for Karns students to make sustainable choices daily. Supporting small, local businesses not only helps reduce waste, but also keeps money in the community. For students, deciding where to grab a coffee, smoothie, or quick bite to eat is an easy way to make a positive impact right where they live.
Just down the road from Karns High School, Beaver’s Dough Joe has become a favorite stop for donuts and coffee among students and staff at Karns. The shop, located on 7650 Oak Ridge Hwy, Knoxville, is locally owned and run, meaning each purchase keeps the money in the community, rather than large corporations. Choosing a nearby cafe like Beaver Dough Joe’s may not seem like much, but it reduces large-scale shipping waste and helps maintain a small business.
Not far from there, Karns Nutrition, 7212 Oak Ridge Hwy, Suite 104, Knoxville, serves as another go to for students, especially those heading to or from sports and band practice. The shop promotes healthy habits and encourages reusable cups for shakes and teas. Supporting Karns Nutrition means supporting a business that gives back to the same community that it serves, one that fuels Karns students.
For students looking for more of an adventure, Market Square Farmers Market downtown is the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning. The Market runs each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring East Tennessee bakers, artists and farmers. Buying fresh produce or handmade goods not only cuts down on plastic packaging but also lets students connect directly with the people behind what they’re buying.
Reduce & Reuse
Sustainability doesn’t stop at what we eat and drink. It also means finding new life in what’s already around us, clothes, books, and decor. Shopping secondhand gives those items another chapter and usable materials out landfills.
There are several options for Karns Beavers to thrift and shop secondhand within their community. KARM, a local thrift chain and non-profit, turns donations and purchases into community impact. When you buy from Karm you do more than just save money, you support local programs like Knox Area Rescue Ministries.
“Working at Karm has definitely opened my eyes,” said Madison Miller, a junior at Karns High and Karm employee, “I love seeing cute stuff, but you also realize how much stuff people throw away, when people shop here they help reuse those items.”
For others, sustainability can take many different forms, like using and consuming secondhand media. Mckay’s Used Books and CD’s (230 Papermill Place Way, Knoxville) offers rows of pre-loved books, records, movies, and games, each waiting for a new reader or listener.
“I love going to Mckay’s because you never know what you’re going to find,” said Valeska Hernandez, a junior at Karns, “The idea of giving something a second life is really cool, and sometimes you can find some really nice stuff.”
Shopping secondhand, instead of constantly buying new items online (which involves plastic wrapping, shipping emissions, and extra waste), gives existing materials another chance to be enjoyed, and keeps them out of the waste bin.
Shared Effort
Whether it’s a coffee from Beaver Dough Joe’s, a smoothie from Karns Nutrition, or a thrifted find from Karm or Mckay’s, every small choice matters. For the students of Karns High, being sustainable and supporting their community doesn’t mean going far. It starts right here, with the places we already know and the choices we make everyday.
