How to Coordinate a Community Clothing Swap
June 2, 2021 Community Projects 0
Old is new again when you coordinate a clothing swap in your community. The idea is that you bring your old clothes that you would donate to charity and donate them to the community. This community event isn’t about making money. It’s about helping out each other. Families are able to swap clothing that they no longer need and pick up items that are just right for them. Coordinating a clothing swap is easy when you follow these steps.
Find a Host Location – There is no reason to spend money booking a venue for your clothing swap. Instead, reach out to your local public school, church or community center about using the facility for a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Any of these locations should have foldable tables and chairs available for you to use.
Coordinate Snacks – Any event that has food is going to grab the attention of people in your community. Consider enlisting volunteers to donate beverages or packaged snacks – like a bake sale – for your event. You can each check with the local pizza shop to see if they would be interested in giving you a discount on pizza donated for the cause. The money collected from sales can be donated to the facility you use for the event or you can donate it to your local community fund. It is important that you use the funds as a way to give back to the community. If your neighborhood needs something specific, like new lights in the park, then focus your sales on raising money for that cause.
Distribute Flyers – You cannot have a successful clothing swap if you do not promote it. Hand out flyers around your neighborhood and see if your local school system is willing to send flyers home with the students. The flyers should state that visitors can bring any clean, gently used clothing to the swap. When they arrive, distribute the clothes in piles based on gender, clothing style and size. Attendees can wander around to the other tables and scope out items they might want to take home. Remember, there is no charge with the clothing swap. It is simply an opportunity for people to get rid of old clothes and potentially find something new.
Invite Local Venders – A great way to draw in a bigger crowd is by inviting local venders that sell their own items. This includes your favorite consultants for companies like Arbonne or Pampered Chef. These vendors can have cash and carry items on their tables and offer gift certificates as part of a free drawing. You could even incorporate a quarter auction as part of your event if you want. This is the chance for people to sell products and attendees to win a product for a fraction of the cost. Be sure to invite a mix of vendors so you have many items to choose from. You can choose jewelry representatives, home goods consultants and even local fitness consultants. If you need more ideas, you can read it here.
Donate Remaining Clothing Items – When the event is over, donate the remaining items to your local clothing drop box or goodwill. Be sure to thank all of your volunteers and those who helped make your event a success.
A clothing swap is a great way to bring your community together and help refresh your wardrobes. If you successfully pull off one then you will want to consider holding them on a quarterly or semi-annual basis.